Camembert Beignets with Red Wine Reduction

Chunks of camembert cheese are coated with panko crumbs, deep fried and served hot on a bed of dressed herbs and drizzled with a red wine reduction. Recipe by Chef Kenneth Oringer.

Recipe Ingredients:

Beignets:
1 wheel (2.2 pounds) Camembert cheese, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 cup all-purpose flour
8 large eggs, beaten
2 cups panko bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying

Red Wine Reduction:
2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 ounces (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
1 bay leaf

Herb Salad:
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups herb salad mixture (chervil, tarragon, parsley and dill)
Sea salt to taste

Cooking Directions:

1. For the Beignets: Roll each cheese chunk in flour, dip it in the eggs, and then coat it with bread crumbs. Place the coated beignets on wax paper and set aside.
2. Pour the oil into a large skillet to the depth of 2 inches, and heat on medium-high to 350ºF (175ºC). Fry cheese chunks until golden, but soft in center. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm.
3. For the Red Wine Reduction: Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until reduced to the consistency of syrup. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
4. For the Herb Salad: Whisk together lemon juice and the olive oil for dressing. Toss with the herb salad mixture and season with the sea salt.
5. To serve the beignets, drizzle the wine reduction syrup on each of the twelve serving plates. Place one beignet on each plate. Slice the tops of the beignets and turn on their sides to expose the molten centers. Garnish each plate with 1/3 cup of the herb salad and serve.

Makes 12 servings.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.