Brie is a soft white cheese with an edible rind that was named after the historic region of Brie in northern France. Its texture resembles that of French Camembert or Italian mozzarella. I first thought about experimenting with TART DE BRY (a cheesecake flavored with ginger & saffron) after browsing The Forme of Cury that I have already mentioned in the post about the oldest English apple tart.
Although I'd never tried the French cheese, the name of BRY (or BRIE) resonated with BREE from The Fellowship of the Ring. You know, the easternmost part of the Shire where Frodo Baggins and his companions are supposed to meet Gandalf. I don't know if J.R.R. Tolkien had been to France or if he liked Brie cheese although the etymology of his place names is a little more compicated than that. But I do remember an incident from Notker the Stammerer's Charlemagne (book 1, chapter 15) in which a bishop served the travelling Emperor "some excellent cheese, reach and creamy". Being moderate in his demands, Charlemagne asked for nothing more and picked up his knife, threw away the skin, and began to eat the inner part of the cheese. Then the bishop told him that he had just thrown away the best part, at which the Emperor put the rind in his mouth and swallowed it as if it was butter. Finally, he ordered for two cart-loads of this fine cheese to be sent every year to his quarters in Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle).
In the late Middle Ages, casei briensis was very popular among the royals but the greatest triumph of Brie cheese was at the 1814 Congress of Vienna, where Talleyrand's counterparts named it the 'king of cheeses'. As for J.R.R. Tolkien's hobbits, I'm pretty sure they would have enjoyed TART DE BRY, as 'bread, cheese & honey' was among their favorite snacks. It seems that 14th century English nobility was also conquered by the taste and flavor of this mild cheese because the following recipe was included in The Forme of Cury: "TART DE BRY. XX.VIII.VI. Take a Crust ynche depe in a trape. take zolkes of Ayren rawe & chese ruayn. & medle it & þe zolkes togyder. and do þerto powdour gyngur. sugur. safroun. and salt. do it in a trape, bake it and serue it forth."
TART DE BRY (BRIE or BREE)
Medieval tarts were generally baked in non-edible shells and the way to eat them was by scooping out the filling and throwing away the crust. As it's not clear what happens in the case of TART DE BRY, I suggest making some tart dough.
I n g r e d i e n t s
for the shell:
250g plain flour
125g butter, cubed
3tbsp powedered cane sugar
pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
2-3tbsp cold milk
for the filling:
6 egg yolks
6tbsp cane sugar
1/8tsp powdered ginger
1/8tsp powdered saffron
1-2tbsp water
pinch of salt
500g Brie cheese, at room temperature
for topping (optional):
2tbsp cane sugar
M e t h o d
1. Mix the flour with the sugar and salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter until crumbs are formed. Whisk the yolk with the milk, add to the flour mixture and knead lightly with your fingers. Shape into a ball, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes. In the mean time, preheat the oven at 180C. 2. Beat the yolks with the sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the ginger and saffron (dissolved in water). Break the cheese into pieces, mix with the salt, then add to the egg mixture. 3. Roll the dough into a thin sheet and fit into a greased 28cm fluted tart pan. Trim the edges and prick all over with a fork. Line with parchment paper, fill with beans and blind-bake for 20 minutes. 4. Take out the beans, remove the paper and let stand for a minute. Pour in the filling, sprinkle with cane sugar (if liked) and bake for another 30 minutes. 6. Serve warm and keep any leftover tart in the refrigerator. To eat the next day, place in a moderately heated oven for 5-10 minutes.
V a r i a t i o n
Make this a savory tart by omitting the sugar and increasing the salt.
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