The Prince of Cheeses (Brie)

Member Name: Mauri

Product:	Brie
Date:	21/05/02 (2245 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great taste, versatile

Disadvantages: The best can be expensive

Often called as the ‘the Prince of cheeses and the premier of desserts’ Brie is delicious eaten on its own or as ingredient in many different recipes.

A VERY BRIEF HISTORY

Brie was originally made in France, from a region that straddles the border between Ile-de-France and Champagne, but now it is made in many parts of the world. The French however only bestow their AOC category to two types of Brie; Brie de Meaux and the Brie de Melun.

The making of Brie de Meaux can be traced back as far as the 8th century, where it was made just outside Paris. Brie the Maux was always known as the Kings cheese due to its close association to Charlemagne but after the French revolution when the monarchy were removed it became known as ‘The King of Cheeses’. It is today one of the best-known cheeses in the world.

HOW IS IT MADE

Brie can be made from raw or pasteurised, whole or skimmed milk.

In the traditional making of Brie the milk is heated but to 37C. Natural rennet (an enzyme that reduces the time necessary to separate the liquids from the solids) is now added to promote curdling. The curdled milk is next transferred into individual cheese moulds. After draining the cheeses are turned over. On the following day the cheeses are removed from the moulds and placed in the slating room at a controlled temperature of 18-20C. At this stage salt is shaken on to the cheeses and then a bacterium is added to form the velvety white mould that covers the cheese. The white mould helps to hydrolyse the protein in the cheese by working from the outside in.

The cheeses are allowed to ripen for about two weeks before they are packed and shipped to different markets and retailers.

In the bulk production of Brie pasteurised milk, heated to 72°C, for 20 to 30 seconds is used. This process kills all pathogenic bacteria that are present. The milk is now re-seeded with Lactic bacteria to restore the flor
a needed for maturing the paste.
Many connoisseur claim that the use of pasteurised milk is detrimental to the final taste of the cheese


APPEARANCE AND TASTE

Brie is categorised as a semi-soft creamy cheese. Traditional Brie like Camembert is covered by an edible, soft, downy white rind, if unpasteurised milk has been used the mould will be a slightly darker colour. The inside of the cheese is cream-coloured. For the best taste the cheese should be ripe with the interior that should slightly ooze when sliced. When ripe the Brie will have a smattering of fine red or red/brown stripes, which will get thicker and more numerous with age, this will also indicate the strength of the cheese. Brie can be left to ripen but when it becomes too soft and a faint whiff of ammonia can be noticed it is probably past its best.

The taste does vary with the ripeness of the cheese it is quite mild and creamy when fresh but develops in to a much tangier salty flavour when it ripens.

I’m not an expert and I can’t really tell the difference between a good quality Brie made from pasteurised or raw milk although I tend to buy traditionally made Brie. As with all soft cheeses people should be aware that the use of unpasteurised milk does pose a risk and pregnant women for instance should avoid eating these types of cheese.

At this point I feel I should relate a personal experience that might explain why I like this cheese so much.
In my younger days I used to do a lot of travelling throughout Europe, because of a lack of funds more often than not I used to hitchhike. On one such trip I found myself with a girlfriend in Paris. It was late in the day and we needed to find some accommodation but it needed to be cheap. Eventually we came across a flea-ridden crumbling hotel in the Latin Quarter. It was tucked away in a small alleyway but it was literally only a few hundred metres from the Seine and a fantastic view of Notr
e Dame. The room for the night cost £5, which even then (early 80’s) was very cheap but despite this it left us with little of our daily budget to get something to eat (and drink!).

Once we had taken care of the essential and bought an inexpensive bottle of red wine we decided to dine out on Bread and cheese. We bought a baguette and a whole round of Brie from a small corner shop near the Hotel. The cheese was of course Brie and it was the first time I had ever tried it. Sitting on a bench near the bridge crossing over to Notre Dame we broke off chunks of bread and slices of Brie which was so ripe is was sliding of the blade of the pen knife I used to cut it with. I remember the smell being strong and acidic but the taste was heavenly. We spent a wonderful time sitting as the sun set over Notre Dame scoffing our bread and brie, it was possibly still to this day the most satisfying meal I have had in Paris!

Marcel Proust the French novelist said that smell or taste could trigger vivid memories of particular moments in your life that you will forever associate with them. For me this is one of those moments and to this day when I smell and taste ripe Brie I get transported back to the south bank of the Seine in early 80’s and the cheese still tastes heavenly!

DIFFERENT TYPES AVAILABLE

Apart from the distinction of Brie made from raw, pasteurised, whole milk or semi-skimmed milk different varieties of Brie can be found throughout the world. Varieties are made in England, the USA as well as France. You can get Brie made from Goat or Sheep milk as well as many varieties with herbs.

My own personal favourite is peppered Brie, which has a thin coating of thickly ground pepper covering the mould skin. The sharp taste of the pepper is perfectly complement the soft creamy taste of the cheese.

Brie can be bought in ‘rounds’ usually 200-300g in weight. It is widely available from all supermarke
ts although to buy the more traditionally made French makes you will have to go to a specialist cheese shop.


NUTRITIONAL VALUE

For 100g of typical Brie:

54g Water
23.2g Protein
20.3g Fat (50% fat solids)
3.0 g Ash
0.5g Carbohydrates

+ Trace amounts of Minerals including Sodium, Calcium and Phosphorus
+ Trace amounts of vitamins including Vit A, Folate, Vit D

Calorific value: 94kcal

RECIPES

The best way to enjoy Brie is to eat it with some fresh crusty white French bread but for those more adventurous amongst us here are a few ideas.

**Wrapped Brie**

Ingredients

1 (200g) Brie cheese round
A handful of sun-dried tomatoes preserved in olive oil, drained and chopped
1 sheet of puff pastry (enough to wrap the whole cheese in)

Preheat an oven to 200C. Take the Brie and slice it horizontally in half. Remove the top half and lie the sun-dried tomatoes evenly over the bottom layer then replace the top layer and position in the centre of the puff pastry sheet.

Fold the ends of the pastry into the centre so that all cheese is covered. With your fingers pinch the dough firmly to seal in the cheese. Turn the cheese over so that it is seam side down on a buttered baking tray.

Bake it for about 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Allow it to cool slightly before serving with fresh bread.


**Brie Soup**

Ingredients

1litre of chicken stock
50g butter
8 tablespoons flour
300g Brie cheese
1 glass white wine
50g of finely sliced carrots
1stick of celery (chopped)
50g fresh mushrooms (sliced)
¼ pint heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste


Melt the butter in a pan over low heat. Add the flour mixing well until it just starts to turn golden.

Add the chicken stock and mix vigorously bringing to the boil an
d then reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmer until the mixture is reduced to 2/3 its original volume and the sauce is a consistency of heavy cream.

Strain the sauce through fine sieve and return the sauce to a pan over low heat and add the Brie. Cook slowly while stirring until the Brie has melted. Add the white wine and vegetables and then simmer lightly until the vegetables are soft.

Heat the cream over low heat and add to the soup. Season the soup with salt and pepper and Garnish with fresh chives, scallion or parsley.


**Stuffed Brie**

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
1 medium chopped onion,
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1 handful of dates, pitted and chopped
1 (200g) round of Brie cheese


In a pan over medium heat, melt the butter and caramelise the onions. Add to this the mushrooms, dates and heat the mixture for about 2 minutes.

Slice the Brie in half horizontally down the centre. Place the onion, mushroom and date mixture on one half of the Brie and cover with the other half.
Place in a microwave for about 1 minute on full power or until the cheese bubbles.
Serve with fresh crusty bread.

Brie is best accompanied with a full-bodied red wine such as a Cote du Rhone, Bourgogne or Merlot.

Go on try some!

Thanks for reading and rating this opinion.

© Mauri

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