Baked Camembert with Rosemary, Thyme & Garlic

Serves 4–6 as a starter or 2 as a main

Takes 50 minutes

It’s not easy to serve this dish elegantly, but it’s so delicious that your guests really won’t mind. To use up the scraps of remaining pastry, cut it into small star shapes, brush with beaten egg and dust with freshly grated Parmesan. Bake for 10 minutes, alongside the Camembert.

1. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), gas mark 6.
2. Unwrap the sheet of pastry and lay it out on a board. Place the Camembert on it and score 2 large discs into the pastry, one about 3cm (1¼ inches) larger than the cheese to form the base, and the other about 6cm (2½ inches) larger, to form the top – check that the second piece will be big enough to hang down over the cheese on all sides and meet the pastry base. Cut the 2 discs out, using a sharp knife.
3. Use the sharp knife to cut small slits all over the top of the cheese. Poke the rosemary leaves and slices of garlic into the holes. Scatter the thyme leaves over the cheese. Place the cheese onto the smaller of the 2 pastry discs on the lined baking sheet, and brush the edge of the pastry with beaten egg. Place the larger disc on top of the cheese and press the pastry edge down to meet the base. Pleat the edges to make a neat join, or press together with the tines of a fork. Cut 2 small slits in the centre of the pastry top, to allow steam to escape, then use the sharp knife again to score a pithivier-style pattern on top: gently cut a curved sun-ray pattern into the pastry, without cutting all the way through. Brush the whole thing with beaten egg and sprinkle over a pinch of sea salt.
4. Place in the hot oven and bake for 25 minutes. When golden brown all over and nicely puffed up, remove it from the oven. Leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving, which – because the cheese will melt voluptuously – is best done at the table on a serving platter, and in front of your guests. Place the redcurrant jelly or cranberry sauce on the table, so that everyone can help themselves.

• 1 sheet of ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
• 1 whole Camembert
• leaves from 1 sprig of rosemary
• 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons thyme leaves
• 1 egg, beaten
• a pinch of flaky sea salt
• redcurrant jelly or cranberry sauce, to serve