Monday, May 2, 2011

The Confusion over Camembert

In Proust's novel Sodom and Gomorrah we stumble upon an interesting and very human dilemma with Marcel in the lift, the elevator, in the Hotel in Balbec. The lift operator has made a gaff in remembering the name of the Marquise de Cambremer, and conveys the name to Marcel as the famous cheese.

"The name of Camembert had struck him all the more probable in that this cheese, being universally known, there was no call to be surprised that a marquisate of such glorious reknown should have been derived from it, unless it were that of the marquisate which had lent its celebrity to the cheese."

please try this recipe and, in this case, the name of the cheeses will be forever remembered!


a boulangerie in Paris

fresh figs, lardon, and camembert
4 ripe figs, halved
1 cup lardon, (this is cured pork belly or bacon cut into large julienne)
4 sprigs of thyme
4 large vine leaves
4 x 1.5 cm slices of camembert
1 tablespoon fresh chives
salt and fresh ground black pepper

walnut oil

place the vine leaves on a board, and place the fresh figs and chives in the center of each leaf. place the camembert on top and drizzle with the oil and season. fold the leaves over, brush with more oil and leave to rest for a t least two hours in the fridge.

when ready to serve, heat a saute pan and fry the lardon
sear the leaf wrapped packages of cheese and figs and serve warm garnished with the crispy lardon

(I invite you to visit my new blog for recipes, writing and travel adventures)