There’s something about baked brie that puts me in the mood to host all sorts of dinner parties. Ooey gooey cheese wrapped up in buttery, flaky pastry – so classy and so delicious. It’s also such a versatile dish. Since brie is a very mild cheese, it pairs beautifully with all sorts of flavors: sweet, savory, and in this case, both! This recipe for sausage and brie puff pastry with a raspberry, fig and balsamic jam was shown to me a couple of weeks ago by a friend of mine (who shares in my deep love of food), and we couldn’t resist giving it a try. The results were above all expectations.
The recipe takes classic baked brie to the next level – including two indulgent fillings that get sandwiched inside of the brie and bake into the center of the cheese. First is a sausage and shallot filling that’s rich, savory, and good enough to eat entirely on its own. On top of that gets layered a thick, sweet jam-like reduction of fresh raspberries, figs, and balsamic (which also happens to be good enough to eat on its own.)
These fancy, flavorful fillings are then nestled in between a sliced wheel of brie cheese, which is then wrapped in a sheet of puff pastry and baked until golden brown. Decadent, I know, but so worth it. Make this sausage and brie puff pastry the center of attention at your next dinner party – your guests (and tummy) will thank you.
SAUSAGE AND BRIE PUFF PASTRY
INGREDIENTS
8 ripe figs
1 pint raspberries
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ cup water
3 shallots
3 sausages, casings removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 wheel of brie (in rind)
1 puff pastry sheet
egg wash (1 beaten egg with a splash of milk)
¼ cup maple syrup
salt & sugar, to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Dice the figs (use dried if you can’t find fresh) and rinse the raspberries. Place the figs, raspberries, water, and balsamic into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat. Simmer and constantly stir until reduced into a thick jam-like consistency. Add salt/sugar to taste.
- While the raspberry fig sauce reduces, julienne the shallots and dice up the sausages. Sauté in a hot skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Remove from heat once cooked through.
- Lay the puff pastry onto a flour-dusted sheet of parchment paper.
- Slice the wheel of brie lengthwise and place the bottom half onto the pastry. Top with the sausage shallot and raspberry fig fillings. Cover with the top half of the brie (cheese-side down.)
- Gather the puff pastry at each corner, and stretch up and around the filled brie. Cinch, twist, and press to seal the dough. Brush with egg wash.
- Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.
- Slice and serve with a drizzle of warm maple syrup. Enjoy!
Click through the slideshow for the step-by-step pictures:
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