Baked Brie With Phyllo, Hot Honey, and Anchovies

appetizer french phyllo/puff pastry dough anchovy bake winter fall spring soy free dairy free peanut free tree nut free thanksgiving christmas new year's eve

Melissa Clark

Serves 10-12

Source

Ingredients

¼ cup chopped roasted red bell pepper (from a jar or homemade)

3 oil-packed anchovy fillets, minced

1 garlic clove, finely grated or minced

¾ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 pound phyllo dough, thawed if frozen

10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, melted

1 large (about 26 ounces) wheel of Brie

Hot honey (see note) or regular honey, for serving

Crackers and/or sliced bread, for serving

Method

Heat the oven to 425°F. In a small bowl, stir together the roasted bell pepper, anchovies, garlic, and lemon zest. Set aside.

On a clean work surface, lay out the phyllo dough and cover it with a barely damp kitchen towel to keep it from drying out. Take 2 phyllo sheets and lay them in an 11 × 17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Brush the top sheet generously with melted butter, then lay another 2 phyllo sheets on top the opposite way, so they cross in the center and are perpendicular to the first two (like making a plus sign). Brush the top sheet with butter. Repeat the layers, reserving 4 sheets of phyllo.

Using a long sharp kitchen knife, halve the Brie horizontally and lay one half, cut-side up, in the center of the phyllo (you will probably need another set of hands to help lift off the top layer of cheese). Then spread the red pepper mixture all over the top. Cover with the other half of Brie, cut-side down, and then fold the phyllo pieces up around the Brie. There will be a space in the center on top where the Brie is uncovered, and that’s okay.

Lightly crumple one of the remaining sheets of phyllo and place it on top of the phyllo/Brie package to cover up that space. Drizzle a little butter on top, then repeat with the remaining phyllo sheets, scattering them over the top of the pastry and drizzling a little butter each time. It may look messy but will bake up into gorgeous golden waves of pastry, so fear not.

Bake until the phyllo is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it rest for about 15 minutes before drizzling it with the hot honey. Slice (it will be runny) and serve with crackers or bread, and with more hot honey as needed.