Cheese Fondue

kaasfondue 2

The Cheeses: Gruyère and (Swiss) Emmenthaler

Slicer and Big Slices

Dice Cheese

Rubbing Pan with Garlic

Slicing and Cutting Bread

Fruits Side Dishes

As a child I visited Switzerland with my parents and siblings. A Swiss friend of my father's wrote down his recipe for Cheese Fondue. Most other recipes have you bring wine to a slow boil first, and then add cheese; this recipe says to add the cheese to the cold wine, and then start the heating. I think it indeed tastes better.

A Cheese Fondue Table

A Cheese Fondue Plate

Cheese: half Swiss Emmenthaler, half Gruyère Dry white wine (I prefer Kendall-Jackson Riesling) (sour dough) baguettes one or two cloves garlic Kirschwasser corn starch pepper, nutmeg # to feed cheese wine baguettes Kirsch corn starch 3 550 g / 1¼ Lb 400 ml / 14 oz. 2 30 ml / 1 oz. (2 TBsp.) 4 tsp 4 750 g / 26 oz. (1Lb 10 oz.) 550 ml / 19 oz. (2 cups 3 oz.) 3 30 ml / 1 oz. (2 TBsp.) 4 tsp 6 900 g / 2 Lb 650 ml / 3 cups 4 45 ml / 1½ oz. (3 TBsp.) 2 TBsp Keep in mind that the pieces of cheese you buy probably have rinds, subtract 10-20% of the stated store weight. A regular bottle of wine is 750 ml. Optional Side Dishes: mushrooms (for dipping) fruits like kiwis, pears (Doyenne de Comice), and mangoes lettuce (with nuts, avocado, tomatoes) cucumber, bell peppers The fondue itself cooks in about ten minutes and needs your undivided attention: so lay the table, set up burner, arrange flowers and prepare side dishes beforehand (or ask a helper.) Slice bread in about ½-inch (1½ cm) pieces, then cut those pieces in two; Cut off rind from cheeses, then cut big slices, weigh to needed amount; (the 'big slices' are about ¼ inch, ½ cm) Dice the big slices of cheese; (most recipees say not to use grated cheese) Put Kirsch in small glass, add corn starch, stir till dissolved; Peel one or two cloves garlic, cut through, and vigorously rub the fondue pan with it; Pour wine in pan, add cheese, and right away put on fairly high fire, stir in circles, slowly but continuously and always in the same direction; keep stirring, don't stop stirring! It takes about ten minutes for the cheese to melt and dissolve; when you lift your stirring spoon the cheese should drip off: if it forms strings it's not yet hot enough; Add cornstarch/Kirsch solution and keep stirring; Grind some pepper and grate a little nutmeg over the fondue, keep stirring; Turn on tabletop burner and move fondue pan to it, try to keep fondue at a slow bubble; During your dinner the fondue may thicken, probably after about ten minutes and maybe again later: put it back on the stove for a few minutes, add a small amount of wine (2 oz / 50 ml, preheated in microwave) and stir well.

mix diced cheese with cold wine, start heating halfway: cheese is partly melted/dissolved ready: all cheese melted/dissolved

Cheese Fondue Fork, Regular Fork

Putting Bread on Cheese Fondue Fork

Now Dip In and Stir

Dipped In

Slide from Fondue Fork with Regular Fork

And Have A Cup of Tea

Stick a piece of bread on a fondue fork and dip it in deeply, to the bottom, and stir the fondue with a circular motion, to keep it from burning.
Back on your plate, slide the cheese-covered piece of bread from your fondue fork with your regular fork, for hygiene and safety. Fondue forks have sharp points.
Mushrooms also dip well in fondue.
If the fondue does not drip from the bread but pulls strings from the pan it means the temperature is too low. You might put the pan back on the stove for a few minutes, stirring well.
Have a cup of tea with your cheese fondue.

The stand I made keeps the fondue pan from sliding off the electric burner.

• I do not believe in the mystique of fondue: I use a regular ceramic/tempered glass (Corningware/Arcopal) pan (not an earthenware 'caquelon') and an electric burner on my table, not an alcohol flame.
• You may also add a little lemon juice to the fondue, like one or two teaspoons (5-10 ml.) The fruity taste of the Kendall-Jackson Riesling makes my fondue sometimes taste vaguely of ginger, which seems a nice complement: you could add a little ginger.
• Stir always in the same direction: so as not to break the long molecules of cheese components
• It is said that you can make a good cheese fondue with the Dutch Maasdammer cheese - I have not tried it. But I do know that the fondue may turn greasy when you use even a little of a non-Swiss Emmenthaler.
• Actually, the cheese does not dissolve or melt, but emulsifies.
• If the fondue is not all finished, scrape leftover cheese out of the pan and discard: do not flush it all out in the sink.

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