Stunning Grilled Cedar Plank Summer Berry Brie

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Last updated on April 2nd, 2024 at 03:59 pm

Nothing says summer like a fresh, delicious brie appetizer! And this grilled cedar plank summer berry brie is an absolute showstopper. It’s the perfect dish to serve at any gathering, whether it’s a BBQ or a beach picnic. This brie appetizer is an absolute delight, combining creamy brie cheese with sweet summer berries and woody, smoky cedar plank.

This culinary adventure marries the rustic charm of cedar plank grilling with the vibrant flavors of summer. It also serves as a feast for the eyes and will look impressive in your spread.

I’ve not always been the biggest fan of softer cheeses – much to my wife’s dismay. But I wanted to make a recipe for her and thought she would enjoy this one. So I ended up with this after thinking of ways to use up leftover cedar planks from back when I made my glazed cedar plank salmon.

And of course, I had to try it out too. I will say that it won me over. If I’m going to have brie, this is truly the only way to have it.

So, fire up the grill and prepare to embark on a journey that celebrates the essence of summer through every delectable bite.

Gather the Ingredients for Summer Berry Brie

Creating the stunning summer berry brie begins with assembling the ingredients, each capturing the essence of the season. These components work in concert to craft a dish that’s as visually stunning as it is delicious. Here’s what you’ll need:

Brie: Central to this culinary masterpiece is a high-quality wheel of brie. Ideally, it should be at room temperature, ensuring a luxurious, creamy texture when grilled.

Cedar Plank: You can’t have cedar plank grilling without the cedar plank itself. This aromatic wood imparts a delicate smokiness to the brie.

Assorted Berries: Embrace the full spectrum of summer’s bounty by including an assortment of fresh, vibrant berries. Blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries each bring their unique sweetness and flavor to the dish.

Red Wine Vinegar: A touch of red wine vinegar adds a subtle but essential tanginess to the berry compote, elevating its depth of flavor.

Sugar: To make sweet berries sweeter, a modest amount of sugar is added.

Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is employed to brighten up the compote, imparting a zesty and citrusy counterpoint.

Fresh Mint: Fresh mint leaves, finely chopped, add a layer of freshness and aromatic complexity to the dish.

Salt: Basically every dish needs salt…

So gather up the fresh ingredients and get ready to start making this brie appetizer.

Prep and Soak the Cedar Plank

Before getting the grill ready, it’s essential to ensure your cedar plank is primed for the heat. This aromatic wood is not only a flavorful foundation but also a key element in imparting that unique smoky essence to your dish. Here’s how to prepare your cedar plank:

Getting a Plank: Begin by acquiring a high-quality cedar plank. These planks should be available at most grocery stores or specialty food shops. If you can’t find one locally, you can find cedar planks on Amazon. When choosing one, look for a plank that is untreated and free from any chemical additives. The size of the plank should accommodate the mini brie wheel. Unfortunately, most cedar planks are made to hold a fish filet and are a bit long for this recipe. If needed, trim the plank to the appropriate size for your cheese wheel. Or, double the recipe and make two at once, one on each end.

Soaking the Cedar Plank: Cedar planks need to be soaked in water before grilling to prevent them from burning up in the heat. Submerge the cedar plank fully in water for a minimum of 30 minutes. You may need to use some mugs or something else heavy to weigh down the cedar plank.

Once the plank has soaked long enough, remove it from the water and wipe off the excess liquid. With the plank ready, it’s time to assemble the appetizer.

Cook the Berry Sauce

It’s time to get to work crafting the delicious berry sauce. This sauce makes a great accompaniment to your brie, adding a unique, sweet flavor, and is really easy to make. It is just a quick homemade berry compote (don’t be scared by the fancy term). Here’s how to create this delectable sauce:

Start with a medium-sized saucepan. Combine one cup of your favorite berries, sugar, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and half of the mint in the saucepan. I suggest using a mix of raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries but you could honestly do just a single berry variety.

Set the mixture over medium heat and let it come to a simmer. Stir often. As it begins to cook, Let the mixture simmer for about xx minutes in total.

Lastly, taste the sauce and adjust the flavors as needed. Add more sugar if it’s too tart, or a few drops of lemon juice if it’s too sweet. Once the flavors are just right, turn off the heat and let the sauce cool.

With the sauce prepared, we’re now ready to assemble and grill the whole appetizer.

Preparing the Brie

Now that you’ve prepared your flavorful berry sauce, it’s time to move on to the star of the show – the brie. This creamy, delicious cheese is a crowd-pleaser, but this recipe turns it up a notch.

First, you’ll need to find the perfect brie. The goal here is to find a mini wheel of brie cheese that will perfectly fit on your cedar plank. Once you’ve found your brie, you’ll want to remove it from the packaging and set it on a cutting board or platter.

Next, you’ll want to prepare the surface of the brie. To do this, you can use a sharp knife to remove the top covering of the cheese. This will expose the actual cheese and make it easier for the berry sauce to penetrate the brie.

Now it’s time to add the berry sauce. Place the prepared brie wheel on the cedar plank. Spread the berry sauce on top of the brie. If you don’t, just spread it over the top of the brie. Then, you can sprinkle some chopped nuts or dried fruit over the top, if desired.

Grill the Berry Brie

Now it’s time to get grilling! Grilling is one of the best ways to get that melty, ooey-gooey brie that you know and love. Plus, the cedar plank adds a hint of smoky flavor that just can’t be beat.

To get started, you’ll need to warm up the grill and get it nice and hot. Turn it to medium heat and let it preheat for about 15 minutes. Once your grill is hot, you can place a cedar plank on it.

After 9 to 11 minutes, your brie should be nice and melty. The berry sauce will be bubbling around the edges and the bottom of the cedar plank will be a bit charred. To test if your brie is done, you can use a fork or toothpick to poke the cheese and see if it’s melted. If not, you can give it a few more minutes to finish cooking.

Once your brie is done, you are ready to dig in!

Serving the Summer Berry Brie

Now that the brie is grilled to perfection, it’s time to serve it up! It’s one thing to make the brie, but a completely different thing to plate it. Let’s look at a few tips on how to serve your brie in style.

First and foremost, presentation is key. Make sure you have a nice platter to put your brie on. You may leave the brie on the cedar plank, as I did in the photos here, or remove it to a different plate or platter. Please note that the berries do have a powerful color and may stain different items – especially if they are porous.

Next, you’ll want to choose a few accompaniments. Consider adding some dried fruit, nuts (especially walnuts), bread, or crackers. These items can help tie the flavors together and make the brie even more delicious as well as giving a vehicle for actually eating the brie.

Make sure you have a good cheese knife on hand for cutting. If you don’t have one, a butter knife will do the trick. When you’re slicing, be sure to go in a circular motion to ensure even pieces.

If you’re feeling really adventurous, try drizzling a balsamic glaze over the top!

When it comes to portioning, you should aim for roughly two ounces of brie per person. You don’t want to give too much, but you want to make sure everyone has enough to enjoy.

The result is a delicious, stunning brie appetizer that will wow your friends and family. So go ahead and give it a try – you won’t regret it!

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try out this summer berry brie! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

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