Starter

Baked Camembert with Apple Crisps & Calvados Syrup

Name: Baked Camembert with Apple Crisps & Calvados Syrup
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 3 medium-sized apples, peeled and cored; 2 tablespoons sunflower oil; 2 tablespoons Highbank Syrup; a pinch of salt flakes; 1 whole Camembert in its box; 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced into thin slivers; 1 tablespoon fennel seeds; 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary; olive oil, for drizzling; 30ml maple syrup; 2 tablespoons Calvados

Cook: 30 mins
Serves: Serves 4
Difficulty: Medium
Method: Oven

Ingredients

For the apple crisps

3 medium-sized apples, peeled and cored
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 tablespoons Highbank Syrup
a pinch of salt flakes

For the cheese

1 whole Camembert in its box
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced into thin slivers
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
olive oil, for drizzling
30ml maple syrup
2 tablespoons Calvados

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Cut the apples into thin, round slices as finely as you can (a mandolin works brilliantly). Place some parchment paper on a baking sheet and lay the slices on top – be careful that they don’t overlap (you may need several baking sheets).
Mix the sunflower oil, Highbank syrup and salt together in a bowl and drizzle this over the apple slices.
Bake in the oven for 10–15 minutes, until the edges are brown and crimped. Remove from the oven – they will crisp up as they cool.
While the crisps are baking, unwrap the Camembert and slice off the top rind. You can discard this or eat it on a cracker if you like, as a cook’s perk. Place the cheese back in its box and press the garlic slivers, fennel seeds and rosemary sprigs into it. Finally, drizzle a little olive oil over the top.
While the apple crisps cool, bake the cheese in its box on a baking tray in the oven for up to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the maple syrup and Calvados together in a small saucepan over a medium heat and bring them to the boil. Boil gently for two minutes, stirring.
Arrange the apple crisps around the baked Camembert and drizzle the Calvados syrup over the hot cheese to serve.