Festive Fried Brie with Sticky Rosemary Walnuts & Champagne

A decadently gooey and festive Brie recipe that everyone will love!

If you’re looking for the perfect Brie recipe to impress all your guests this holiday season, this is it! A deep-fried Brie that is straight up decadent. The salty pretzel coating, sweet spiced honey, and sweet and salty sticky rosemary walnuts all work together to create a flavour experience that’s hard to forget!

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What to pair?

This one is easy. CHAMPAGNE! Or any kind of Champagne alternative (made in the Traditional, or 'Champagne’ method), like Crémant, Cava, or Franciacorta. Fried food, Brie, and walnuts are all at the top of the list for Champagne pairings, and this beautiful Brie has it all!

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Festive Fried Brie with Sticky Rosemary Walnuts

Tools

• Small saucepan

• Sealable jar (e.g., a mason jar)

• Parchment paper

• Sharp knife

• 3 bowls (for breading station)

• Large heavy bottomed pot (e.g., 5-6 quart dutch oven)

• Oil thermometer

• Large slotted spoon or spider strainer

Ingredients

Spiced Honey

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1/8 tsp cinnamon

• 1/8 tsp all-spice

• 1/8 tsp nutmeg

• 1/8 tsp ground ginger

• 1/8 tsp cardamom

Sticky Sweet and Salty Rosemary Walnuts

• 3 tbsp salted butter

• 1/2 cup raw walnuts

• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary needles (Optional to keep as needles or to finely chop. If substituting dried rosemary, use 1/4 tsp)

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1 tsp sea salt

Fried Brie

• 1 small wheel of Alexis de Portneuf’s Lactose-Free Brie

• 3-4 tbsp holiday-spiced honey

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 egg, whisked

• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

• 1/2 cup salted pretzels, finely crushed or ground in a food processor

• 2-3 litres (or quarts) of frying oil (neutral oil of choice with a high smoke point, like Canola oil or Vegetable oil).

• Salt (to add immediately after frying)

Directions

1. Make Spiced Honey: Heat honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the honey is thin and liquidy, add spices and whisk to dissolve. Remove from heat, pour into a sealable jar, and refrigerate to cool (it will thicken as it cools).

2. Make Sticky Sweet and Salty Rosemary Walnuts:

   1. Melt salted butter over medium heat in the same saucepan you used for the spiced honey. Add walnuts and rosemary to the melted butter and fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring continuously.

   2. Add the honey and sea salt and continue to stir for another few minutes until you have a sticky, caramelized mixture. Remove from heat and pour mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper, spreading it out into a thin layer. Place in the fridge to cool and harden while you prepare your Brie. Once the sticky walnut mixture has hardened, peel it off of the parchment paper, place it on a cutting board, and chop into small pieces. NOTE: The mixture will be tough and sticky, so you may have to use a combination of cutting and tearing to break it up. Don’t worry, it’s worth it!

3. Prepare Brie:

   1. Slice Brie wheel in half to create two full rounds. Spread 1-2 tbsp of spiced honey on the inside of one of the rounds, and then sandwich the two sides back together. Place Brie in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.

   2. Meanwhile, prepare your breading station. Add flour to one bowl, whisked egg to a second bowl, and combine Panko breadcrumbs and finely crushed or ground salted pretzels in a third bowl.

   3. Remove Brie from the freezer and start breading. First coat in flour, followed by egg, then bread crumbs. Ensure your Brie is entirely covered with the breading, and then coat again with egg followed by breadcrumbs for a nice thick coating. Place your Brie back in the freezer while you prepare your oil.

   4. Using a large, heavy bottomed pot (like a 5-6 quart dutch oven), fill with canola oil and heat over medium-high heat. Aim for a minimum of 2 inches at the bottom of your pot, but avoid filling past half-way for safety reasons.

   5. If using an oil thermometer, heat oil to 350 degrees F. If you don't have an oil thermometer, throw a small piece of bread or a cracker in the oil after about 10-15 minutes, or whenever you suspect it's getting hot enough. If it starts to sizzle immediately, you're good to go! If you don't see an immediate sizzle, wait another minute or two and then try again.

   6. When the oil is ready, remove Brie from the freezer and gently submerge it in the oil using a large slotted spoon or spider strainer. Watch closely as it starts to darken in colour and remove from the oil (again using a spider strainer or large slotted spoon) after 2-3 minutes or when your Brie wheel is a beautiful golden brown colour. Salt immediately so that it sticks to the breading.

4. Plate, garnish, and enjoy: Place fried Brie on your serving board or plate of choice. Drizzle with spiced honey, top with a handful of sticky rosemary walnuts, then drizzle again with spiced honey. Enjoy immediately with a chilled glass of Champagne or your favourite sparkling wine!