Baked Brie with Grapes and Balsamic Vinegar

These Balsamic Roasted Grapes have found their way into quite a few dishes in my kitchen lately. Their sweet roasted flavour compliments so many things from sharp and tangy cheeses to buttery and mellow ones like Brie. I like to leave the grapes on their stems for the aethetics.

1 (12 oz) wheel Brie cheese (340 g)
1 lb red or black seedless grapes (500 g)
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar, divided
sea salt
black pepper, freshly cracked

For the Brie:
Remove the wheel of cheese from your refrigerator for a minimum of one hour. This will allow the cheese to soften and for the flavours to develop. If you prefer a "melty" brie, pop the wheel onto a baking sheet and into the oven after you've remove the grapes, for just about 3-5 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6).

For the Grapes:
Place the grapes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and about 2 Tbsp. of the balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper.

Bake for 30 minutes, giving the pan a shake every 5-10 minutes to avoid burning the sugars.

Drizzle with the remaining balsamic as soon as you remove them from the oven and toss.

Serve warm.

Cook's Notes:

• I like to leave the grapes on their stem for aesthetics, but for easy pop-in-your-mouthability, feel free to remove them from their stem before roasting.
• Store roasted grapes in the fridge, and warm them up just before serving in a 400°F oven for about 10-15 minutes.