Cheese Lover’s Guide To: Brie

This classic soft cheese is just the thing to serve up at your next picnic or BBQ. Don’t worry, brie happy with our fun facts and collection of cheesy recipes.

Originating from the Île-de-France region of France (northeast of Paris), this soft farmhouse cheese is traditionally made from cow’s milk. Once mixed with enzymes and rennet, it’s left to rest in a mould for the signature rind to bloom.

While it’s French in origin, only certain types of brie have protected geographical status (Brie de Meaux, Brie de Melun), which is why you’ll find varieties from all over the UK from Somerset to Scotland.

Keep brie in the fridge until just before you’re ready to tuck in; it tastes best if you take it out of the fridge an hour before so that it rises to room temperature. When it’s perfectly ripe it’ll give when squeezed (if you see a white line running through the cheese it’s not ready).

Amazingly, you can also freeze brie for up to 3 months – just make sure it’s in an airtight container.

While ripe brie slathered on a crusty baguette is an excellent choice for a picnic, there are other super tasty ways to serve it. Take these brie, courgette and red pepper muffins, packed full of flavour and freshness.

These brie and cranberry bites take no time to knock together for even the most last-minute of picnics. You never know when the sun’s gonna be shining, right?

Feel like showing off? Prepare some of these brie and apple cinnamon roses to bowl over your picnic guests.

Hallumi and mozzarella get a lot of BBQ time, but brie can also do wonders for grilled food. Take this bacon, brie and cranberry burger served with lashings of homemade coleslaw – yum!

Here’s a nifty trick: bake brie on the grill by popping it in a skillet and topping it with tomatoes, basil and balsamic vinegar.

Alternatively, serve up this ultimate summer deli board with Brie as the winning centrepiece.

This side of purple sprouting broccoli with creamy brie-loaded sauce will go down a storm at the dinner table. Serve with simple roasted garlic chicken drumsticks.

Make it a brunch to remember with this spectacular brie and bacon bread and butter pudding. And to finish off? Try these grilled honey apricots. The sweet, buttery fruit is a perfect partner for creamy brie.

So there you have it, a whole range of un-brie-lievably good recipes to enjoy this summer!