How to Eat Brie on More Than Just a Cheese Plate

One of America's most popular soft cheeses is beloved yet sometimes still a mystery.

Brie, a round, creamy cheese with a hard rind, comes in many different sizes, flavors, and forms, and there are even more ways to enjoy the mild but rich cheese. If you're wondering how to eat brie, know that while nibbling on a wedge is totally acceptable (guilty!), there are so many more presentations and styles to indulge in. For the best brie experience, find a brie style that suits your tastes, serve it at the right temperature, and follow a few more tips for the best brie you’ve ever had.

Meet Our Expert

• Lauren Toth , cheesemonger and director of training and curriculum at Murray’s Cheese
• Bonnie Kaufman , brand manager at Marin Cheese Co.

Related: How Long Cheese Lasts in the Refrigerator, According to Experts

Brie Defined

Brie is both a very specific and a general type of cheese. “Generally, when we think of a ‘brie’ style cheese, we're thinking of a soft-ripened cheese with a downy white rind,” says Lauren Toth, cheesemonger and director of training and curriculum at Murray’s Cheese. “Some of the cheeses that fall into that category and look like a traditional, French brie to most observers may not be a ‘brie’ at all.” Cheeses with a delicate rind, called bloomy, are a distinct and vast category beyond brie.

Types of Brie

Categorically, there are a few different types of brie, including traditional styles, original styles, standard brie, double-crème, triple crème, and alternative (also called mixed-milk) brie.

The Milk: Traditional brie is a French cheese made from cow’s milk. Alternative bries, including American-made options, can have use various types of milk. Brie can be made with sheep or goat’s milk, or a mix of various types of dairy to layer flavors.

Crème: In terms of creaminess, brie has three distinct levels. “A cheesemaker may choose to add additional cream to the milk they use for cheesemaking to create an even richer and more decadent texture and a more buttery flavor,” explains Toth. “A double-crème will have 60 percent or more butterfat and a triple-crème 75 percent or more. Double-crèmes tend to have a thicker, creamier consistency, while a triple-crème will be very silky and melt-in-your-mouth, practically butter.”

Buying the Best Brie

Like any cheese, the “best” version of brie depends on personal taste. Asking a cheesemonger for their favorites or knowing which qualities to ask for, such as a double-creme or a mixed milk brie, can help guide you to a favorite selection.

If no experts are around your supermarket cheese case, Toth suggests you ask yourself a few questions when choosing a brie:

• Are you looking for a classic French brie or a cheese that fits the profile of soft and creamy with a fluffy white rind?
• Are you looking for a whole, contained piece or a wedge?
• Do you want a gooey, creamy texture (double-crème) or something more silky and melt in your mouth (go for the triple)? Would you be annoyed to see a puddle forming around your cheese as it stands?

Splurging a bit on brie may be worthwhile.”Don't be put off by a higher price tag,” Toth says. “Artisanal cheeses depend on a lot of labor and painstaking care to create and transport from the farm to your fridge. The price will reflect that quality and value.”

How to Eat Brie

Brie can be enjoyed at room temperature or baked and served warm and gooey, but a cold brie straight from the fridge is not gonna cut it.

Brie on a Cheese Plate

“For a cheese plate, you want to let your brie come up to room temperature,” Toth says. “This will unlock the full depth of aroma and flavor for the best-tasting experience.” Remove your brie from the fridge about half an hour before serving it.

Presentation: For a visually stunning cheese board, Toth recommends using a large wedge of brie to anchor the display. If functionality is more important, pre-slice smaller wedges for guests to serve themselves rather than scooping out the center and leaving the rind of a gooey brie. Brie can also be cut out with a cookie cutter to make fun shapes.

Pairings: “Brie is a soft and creamy cheese with a buttery flavor, sometimes a little grassiness, and a rich mouthfeel. For the most natural pairings, you want to look at complementary textures and flavors,” says Bonnie Kaufman, brand manager at Marin Cheese Co. She loves serving brie with seasonal fruits, which can highlight the fresh crisp texture and add a bit of sweetness without competing with the cheese’s delicate flavors. For more savory pairings, try buttery Castelvetrano olives or lightly salted Marcona almonds. Pickled vegetables, or even fruits, can pair nicely with brie, too.

Baking Brie

Warm, gooey, baked brie is a favorite of many soft cheese lovers.

“Don't be afraid to heat your brie, or other bloomy-rind cheese, in a baking dish in the oven,” Toth says. “Just keep an eye on it to make sure the center doesn't completely ooze out.” Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Timing will depend on the size of the wheel, but small wheels can get melty in just 5 minutes. Set the whole wheel in a small baking dish, a sheet pan, a cast iron, or even aluminum foil.

• Toth suggests slicing baked brie on the horizontal axis (like a bagel). This exposes the gooeyness and you can add a bit of filling such as jam , preserves, or pesto.
• Before baking, brie can be topped with nuts, like candied pecans , or cut into chunks and mixed with olive oil and herbs to create a creamy spread.
• Brie can also be wrapped in puff pastry for a one-pan decadent appetizer that can be customized to pretty much all seasons and gatherings.

Other Ways to Eat Brie

Just like mozzarella in a Caprese salad or a melty square of American in a grilled cheese , brie can really make a dish. And yes, it can be subbed into either of those recipes. In fact, brie works in almost any recipe that calls for a soft and melty cheese.

• Brie mac and cheese is top-notch.
• Brie crostini ? See you at the function.
• Brie in a casserole or gratin , yes, please!
• Toth is a fan of using brie on a flatbread with sliced grapes and hot honey.
• She also advocates the simple approach of pulling it out at a picnic to make a sandwich with a baguette plus speck, sliced cornichons, and grainy mustard.
• Brie s’mores have been trending, and Kaufman is an advocate. “Fireside gatherings are a little more adult and equally delicious when you swap some brie in place of the marshmallow in your s’mores,” she says. Just pay attention to your wedge of brie so it doesn’t melt off the stick.
• If you’re into playing with fire, brie brûlée is another favorite of Kaufman’s. “It’s an amazing way to wow guests,” she says. “When it’s time for dessert at your next gathering, trim off the top rind of your brie wheel, add a layer of cinnamon and sugar, and then grab a countertop brûlée torch for brie brulee.” When the top carmelizes, you can crack into it like creme brûlée and pair it with cookies, berries, and chocolate. No torch? Use your oven’s broiler to brûlée brie for a quick and impressive treat.
  

Read the original article on Martha Stewart .