Thanks to Marti Rosenquist of Mauimagazine.net for bringing to our attention this marvelous recipe created by Chef Lyndon Honda of 100 Wines restaurant.
Ingredients:
8-ounce shell of Brie cheese
1/2 cup Hawaiian Macadamia Nut blossom honey
3/4 cup macadamia nuts, finely diced
1/4 cup softened unsalted butter
1/8 cup Grand Marnier
Directions:
Leaving the rind on the cheese, coat the entire wheel with honey. Shake off excess honey and roll the wheel in the macadamia nuts, pressing firmly and making sure you coat the entire cheese. Reserve the excess honey and macadamia nuts.
In a Teflon pan, melt half the butter over medium heat. Place the Brie in the pan and cook until the cheese is delicately browned on both sides. (This recipe is not meant to melt the cheese. You want to retain texture, which is why the rind stays on).
Remove the cheese to your favorite serving platter. Let stand.
Pour the Grand Marnier in the pan and flambe. (You want to burn off the alcohol, leaving only the sweetness of the liqueur. If you don’t have a gas stove, use a long barbecue lighter to ignite the alcohol.)
Once the flame has disappeared, add the remaining softened butter to the pan, followed by the remaining honey and macadamia nuts. Bring the sauce to a boil. Pour over the Brie. Serve with thinly sliced toasted baguette or thin crackers.
Here are a few more tips from Chef Lyndon:
Make sure the mac-nut pieces are finely diced, about the size of panko crumbs.
Use softened butter only! Adding cold butter to the sauce will ruin the alchemy.
You can also use a wedge of Brie from a larger round, but this requires more care so that the cheese doesn’t become runny.
The heat in the pan is important. Don’t be surprised if you need to practice this a few times. Browning the cheese without letting the inside turn to runny is an art!
If you want to taste how it’s truly meant to be, stop by 100 Wines.
