Crumbed Camembert Kimwarer Valley-style

While in Nairobi at the end of January, I bought a wheel of Camembert. This week Grant and decided was a good time to enjoy it. I've posted about this dish before (here) but with a difference. These soft cheese parcels, dipped in egg wash, rolled in breadcrumbs and deepfried in olive oil, are normally served with strawberry coulis and whole green figs preserved in syrup.

White roses from the garden with potpourri of rose petals around the vase created a beautiful centrepiece

However, here in Kenya I've not been able to find any figs in syrup and decided to adapt the accompaniment accordingly. I subsequently made caramalised oranges, and once Grant had cooked the Camembert, I arranged the sweet, syrupy fruit alongside as the perfect foil for the rich and delicious protein. I also replaced the strawberry coulis with Confiture de Cerises Noir / Black Cherry Preserve which is what I had in my pantry.

Crumbed Camembert with Caramelised Orange and Black Cherry Preserve. It's every bit as delicious as it looks

And yes, it called for a formal table setting; centrepiece of rose petals, flowers in jam bottle, candles in ashtrays and ice-cold H2O a la water dispenser!

Caramelised Oranges - wwww.Nigella.com (I tweaked the recipe as not everything is available here in the valley)

6 navel oranges or any small thin-skinned variety

500g caster sugar - I used brown

250ml water - I only used 100ml water
8 cardamom pods, crushed - I added cinnamon sticks


Method
Using a small sharp knife, cut a thin slice off the top and bottom of the oranges, and then slice off the skin vertically, turning the orange as you go, being careful to keep as much flesh as possible but removing all pith.
Slice each orange into 5mm rounds, trying to reserve as much juice as you can.
Just plonk the slices, pouring the juices, into a bowl as you cut them. Or just cut them straight into something like a lasagne dish.
To make the caramel, put the sugar, water and cardamom pods into a large saucepan and swirl (not stir) a little to dissolve the sugar. Then slowly bring to the boil without stirring, until the syrup becomes a dark amber colour.
Take the saucepan off the heat and tip in the oranges and any juice that's collected in the bowl. Quickly coat the orange slices in the caramel and pour on to a flat plate; act with speed otherwise the caramel will set before you can get it out of the saucepan.
If you can pick out the cardamom pods without burning your fingers, great, but there's no need to get too exercised about it: let those eating do a little work as well. Let the oranges cool, and then put them in the fridge to chill for a little while.


Nigella posted this recipe as a dessert with Greek yoghurt. So if you're not a fan of the cheese we enjoyed it with, why not try it this way and really wow your dinner guests!

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