Favourite Winter "Recipe"

For me, winter is really the time for indulgence and a little bit of naughty eating. When I lived in Switzerland I came to associate winter with those warming and sinful cheese dishes like Fondue and Raclette that the Swiss like so much. I even brought my raclette machine with me when I moved to Hong Kong, although it hasn't had an outing yet!

For a little delicious treat at home though, there's nothing better than some steaming hot, molten, oven-baked Camembert, enjoyed with some crusty French bread. It's the perfect comfort food to serve a friend who just happens to pop by around dinner time when the fridge is bare, or curled up on the sofa watching a movie. The funny thing about it is that people actually think it's more impressive than the two minute preparation time - it's all in the styling you know!

Here's how you do it:

Buy a nice ripe camembert that comes in a wooden box (Oliver's and CitySuper have good cheese counters). Open the box and unwrap the cheese. Put the cheese back in the box. Cut a clove of garlic in half and rub over the top of the cheese. Pour a little white wine over the top of the cheese so that it sits on the top. Put the lid of the box back on and place in an oven pre-heated to 200 degrees c or Gas Mark 6 for 10-15 minutes.

Carefully take out of the oven, and serve in the box on a wooden chopping board with some fresh baguette (allow your guests to tear off chunks with their hands). You can also accompany with some cornichons (little gherkins) and mini pickled onions for the authentic twist.

Enjoy!