Brie with Caramelized Pears and Balsamic Vinegar
01. Feb, 2010 
16 Comments
I have a confession to make I’ve been holding back on all of you. I made this delicious warm brie with pears and balsamic vinegar on New Years, but I didn’t think it fit into the theme of January, so I have been preciously hoarding the recipe. My good friend S (no not Serena) helped us ring in a quiet New Years at the cabin and she suggested this pairing.
The trick is to get the pears nice and soft then dress them up with the sharp balsamic and fresh oregano, before dumping the delicious mixture over some warm Brie or Camembert. You can do what I did and throw the cheese in the oven for 5 minutes to get it warm or serve it at room temperature. Something about a few glasses of champagne, does not make me a patient lady.
Brie with Caramelized Pears and Balsamic Vinegar
(makes enough sauce for one small individual wheel, or a healthy wedge)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bosc pear, small dice
6 tablespoons balsamic
3 heaping tablespoons honey
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 small individual wheel of brie or Camembert, at room temperature
Heat a saute pan to medium and saute the pears in olive oil until nice and soft. Turn up the heat and add balsamic and honey and cook, stirring regularly until it forms a syrup. Taste and add salt and pepper, if it is too sharp add a bit more honey. Stir in fresh oregano and pour over cheese. Serve immediately with crackers or bread.
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Originally started as a way to document and learn to cook, the site chronicles my journey as I learn a few new things, create recipes, and have a disaster or two.
another great recipe. i’m not such a big fan of cheeses in general but that caramelized pear topping looks really good. is there any other way to pair it?
I love the idea of fruit with cheese. If the cheese is Camembert and the fruit is caramelized…..I love it even more!!!
Delicious! I love brie… balsamic… pears…
Oh my, delicious! All of your recipes are truly amazing, i cannot wait to try all of them – every single one of them is a favorite!
I love fruit and brie, and the balsamic sounds like a wonderful addition!
it looks delicious!
Karyn – hmm I am not sure you know! Something savoury? It actually would be lovely as little bruschettas i think and maybe just a teeny bit of Parmesan on top? It is all about salty + sweet I think.
Nuri – you are very sweet.
Nina, Deborah, Leen, Ginny – thanks!
This does sound delicious. My problem with Brie is that I can’t get past the rind, which to me is bitter. I know, my British/Canadian husband says I’m a heathen…. I wonder if there’s a rindless cheese it would be good with? Or I’d even try Wee Bries which are rindless, but they have become quite hard to find.
Amy – well, I think I may agree with your husband. You are a heathen! heheheh. Just kidding of course, I am not a cheese expert, but there must be some rindless cheeses out there that would be good?
Why don’t you try my other suggestion? Make the pears and put them on little pieces of toasted bread, top with grated Parmesan or Romano then put under the broiler for a few minutes?
I was going to chastize you for witholding the dish but all’s forgiven…decadent and drippingly delish.
Katerina, my bad, I somehow missed your other suggestion by not reading carefully. That sounds great and I think I will try it!
I need a special occasion to come up, so I can make this! Sounds amazing.
ohhhhhh looks amazing!! Something about balsamic and brie is so tasty! I once had little crostini with pesto, brie and reduced balsamic and it was heaven
What a great way to enjoy some brie!