What' on the Grill #184: Planked Brie with Amaretto-Peach Chutney & Cranberry Conserve

In this case, not only is this dish a mouthful, the title is too. I chose to receive Karen Adler's & Judith Fertig's 25 Essentials: Techniques for Planking

through Amazon's Vine program. On occasion, I select items to review and on my monthly list, their book immediately caught my eye.

I wasn't sure what to expect at first. The book was small and spiral bound. It almost appeared gimmicky, until I started flipping through the pages. As with any cookbook, stellar pictures are a top priority for me and Adler & Fertig had plenty. I was already hooked.

As I've blogged before, I am a huge fan of planking (...food). Techniques covers the process and procedures in an easy to understand format. The recipes also cover the gamut from the typical to the wild and the wild is where I typically like to go.

I love brie, but never thought of planking it before. Add in chutney and conserve and I have a new entertaining appetizer I plan on bringing out a lot this fall.

First, be sure to soak your planks. To make it easy, I use a baking sheet and hold the planks down with a cast iron skillet. I allow them to soak for about an hour.

Planked Brie with Amaretto-Peach Chutney & Cranberry Conserve

from Techniques for Planking

Amaretto-Peach Chutney

One 12 oz jar peach preserves

2 tbls amaretto

1/3 cup raisins

2 tlbs cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

kosher salt & freshly white pepper

Cranberry Conserve

One 12 oz bag fresh or frozen cranberries

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brandy


One 8 oz wheel of Brie

One French Baguette

1. Make the chutney by mixing together all of the ingredients. Salt & pepper to taste.

2. For the conserve, place the cranberries, juice and sugar in a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the cranberries pop and their skin bursts, stir in the brandy. Cook for an additional minute and allow to cool.

3. Prep your grill for indirect medium. I like to place my soaked plank over the fire to allow the plank to start to char. This usually takes about a minute or two. Once marked, remove the plank from the grill. Place the brie on the plank and then top the brie with the chutney and conserve.

4. Place the planked brie back on the grill directly over the heat. Close the lid and allow the brie to cook for about 15-20 minutes. When done, serve with slices of baguette.

I was not prepared for how good this was going to be. The presentation is great by itself, but once you dip into that oozing brie and slather it across a piece of baguette...wow. This didn't stick around long.