Crispy Camembert with Raspberry Kimchi Sauce

I just had to revisit this recipe on the new blog - it's been up over at Nibbledish since Nibbledish was OpenSourceFood. This isn't a hopeless grab at generating blog content though; I really love this recipe and it's the very tail end of winter so it's the last chance to do a really wintery tsumami type dish.

Otsumami is really just a Japanese kind of hors d'oeuvres (horses-doovers in my house). It's a little something to munch on with a drink and they can run the gamut from sweet to savoury, simple to complex. Things like edamame, dried squid, stick cheese, nuts, crackers, smoked meats - anything that goes well with beer.

This recipe goes well with ANYTHING, but the best part about this is the sauce - the sweet acid of raspberry with the slight chilli-garlic kick from the Kim Chi cuts through the creamy Camembert perfectly, and the hot crispy outside of the panko crumb crunches deliciously as the cheese oozes out.

Ingredients
Serves 4 people (2 pieces a serve)

• Camembert cheese (1 round)
• 1 Egg, beaten
• Flour
• 1 Cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• Canola/Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 Tbs Mirin (Cooking sake)
• 1 Tbs KimChi base
• 1 Tbs Raspberry jam

Method

1. First, cut the camembert into wedges then put into the fridge to firm up whilst you make the sauce. This will mean it still retains its shape in the frying process.
2. To make the sauce, combine equal parts mirin, kimchi base & raspberry jam in a small saucepan.
3. Heat until all the jam is melted. Mix well to combine, simmer very lightly for a minute or two to reduce. Allow to cool.
4. Remove the cheese wedges from the freezer. Roll in flour, dip in egg yolk and roll them in panko.
5. Deep fry for 2 minutes or so, until just the golden side of golden brown.
6. Drain on paper towel for a moment then serve with sauce on the side.

Cooking Notes

• If you can't get your hands on panko, regular breadcrumbs work fine but the panko is really flaky and crispy and much nicer in my opinion.
• When I make these for parties, I set up a little assembly line and serve them up hot - they do not keep well if you fry up a bunch then try to keep them warm in the oven.
• Make sure not to crowd the fryer and make sure your oil is REALLY hot; the egg wash will flash-fry and seal the cheese inside and then you'll avoid getting oily cheese.
• If you live in Japan, try this with that "stick cheese" you can buy in the otsumami section of a convenience store. It's entirely weird but a nice change-up.