Deep-Fried Camembert With Cranberry Sauce Recipe

By
Karin Engelbrecht
Karin Engelbrecht
Magazine editor, restaurant reviewer, and food writer who focuses on Dutch cuisine.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/21/22
Fried Camembert and Cranberry Sauce
House of Books
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 4 mins
Total: 14 mins
Servings: 4 servings

While cranberries are native to North America, many people don't know that the plant grows wild in some parts of the Netherlands. As the story goes, in 1845 a vat of cranberries was found washed up on the beach of Terschelling, the West-Frisian island, after which the berry was grown there by the hardy islanders. The mystery fruit was officially identified as cranberries by botanist Franciscus Holkema in 1868.

Because cranberries thrive in this 'Wadden island' environment, some 48 ha (119 acres) of cranberry fields can be found on the island today. Cranberries are commonly known as veenbessen in the Netherlands, but on Terschelling some still call them Pieter-Sipkesheide, after the man who found that fateful vat of cranberries.

This dish was featured in the winter section of Gerechten van de Heerlijkheid cookbook, and makes for a fine starter on any Christmas menu. The recipe has been translated and adapted for this site and published here with the permission of the publisher.

Ingredients

  • 1 wheel of camembert, about 8 ounces/250 grams cut into 8 wedges

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1 dash salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

  • 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs

  • Sunflower oil, for frying

  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

  • 1 cup store-bought or homemade cranberry port sauce (Mariënwaerdt)

Steps to Make It

  1. Take the camembert out of the refrigerator. Season the flour with the salt, pepper and oregano.

  2. Set out three soup bowls: one with seasoned flour, another with beaten egg, and the third with breadcrumbs. Dredge the cheese in the flour, followed by the beaten egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Make sure that the wedges are evenly coated.

  3. Heat sunflower oil to 356 F (180 C) in a deep fat fryer. Set out a plate covered with kitchen paper.

  4. Fry the cheese (in batches) for 3 to 4 minutes and allow to drain on the kitchen paper. Sprinkle with the finely chopped thyme and serve immediately with a cranberry sauce dip.

    Tips:

    • This dish can be served as a starter or as an appetizer with a glass of full-bodied red wine.
    • Deep-fried camembert is also good with rhubarb-mustard chutney.
    • If you don't have a deep fat fryer, you can use a soup pot or wok to fry the cheese. To check whether the oil is at the right temperature, stand the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil. When little bubbles form around the base, the oil is hot enough.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
568 Calories
36g Fat
43g Carbs
19g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 568
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 36g 47%
Saturated Fat 12g 61%
Cholesterol 138mg 46%
Sodium 703mg 31%
Total Carbohydrate 43g 16%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 23g
Protein 19g
Vitamin C 1mg 5%
Calcium 289mg 22%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 209mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)