Melted camembert with honey, garlic and chili flakes

How do you make baked camembert with honey, garlic and chili flakes?

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (conventional). Getting the temperature right is important: too low and the camembert won’t fully melt through, too high and the rind will burn before the inside is soft.
2. Remove the camembert from its packaging and place it in the cast-iron pan. With a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern into the top of the cheese, about 1 cm deep. This helps the oil penetrate and allows the rind to open nicely as it bakes.
3. Peel the garlic cloves and slice them thinly. Press the slices into the cuts in the camembert. Garlic powder is less effective here: fresh garlic gives much more aroma and is less likely to burn quickly.
4. Drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil evenly over the top of the camembert. The oil helps keep the rind crisp and carries the flavor of the garlic and chili into the cheese.
5. Sprinkle 1 tsp chili flakes over the cheese. Then add a generous pour of runny honey so the top is well coated. The honey will caramelize lightly in the oven, creating a lovely sweet-heat balance.
6. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake the camembert for 15 to 18 minutes. The cheese is ready when the outside is lightly golden and the interior yields to the touch. Don’t leave it too long, as overbaking makes the cheese grainy instead of creamy.
7. Meanwhile, slice the baguette on the diagonal into pieces about 1.5 cm thick. Brush the slices lightly with olive oil and quickly toast them in a grill pan or under the oven grill until golden and crisp.
8. Remove the pan from the oven. If you like extra heat, sprinkle another pinch of chili flakes over the cheese. Drizzle a little more honey on top and serve the camembert straight from the pan with the toasted baguette alongside.