author: sarahamiller
created: 2005-02-20 00:05:23
servings: 4
notes:
If you have a grill, this is easy and sooooooo good. Perfect, casual appetizer for a small dinner party. From Williams-Sonoma.
recipe:
10 (or more) large brined grape leaves 1 round of Camembert cheese, well chilled 2-3 tablespoons basil pesto (purchased works for me) coarse bread slices, toasted or grilled if you like 1. Prepare charcoal or gas grill for grilling over medium-high heat. 2. Lay 4 grape leaves, vein sides up, on a baking sheet, their tips positioned at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock with their stems just touching. Center a fifth leaf where the stems touch. Place the camembert round on the center of the fifth leaf. Spread pesto over top of cheese. Fold the tips of the grape leaves over the cheese. Center one leaf on top of the cheese, and then arrange 4 remaining leaves, vein sides down, on top of the cheese in clock positions with stems touching in center. Tuck the tips of these leaves under the cheese. **This sounds way more complicated than it actually is...you just want to wrap the cheese in the grape leaves tightly so that none of the rind is exposed.** 3. Place the cheese on the grill rack, cover and cook, turning the cheese once with a spatula (4-5 minutes per side). The leaves will slightly char, but only a drizzle or so of the cheese should escape the packet. 4. Place cheese packet pesto-side up on a serving plate. Let rest 3 or 4 minutes, then pull open the top leaves. The cheese will be liquidy inside its rind. Serve with bread. Don't neglect to eat the charred leaves...they're functional, but yummy too.