There’s nothing like piercing a chewy chunk of sourdough bread with a long fork and twirling it ’round and ’round in a pot of bubbling cheese. As you pull the gooey wonder away from the pot, strands of melting cheese stretch until, with one final twirl, snap. The cheesy bread is free and ready to be eaten in one fell swoop.
But the best thing about cheese fondue is that it’s easy.
To make a perfect fondue, you need to be sure you’ve tossed your grated cheese with a sprinkling of starch. Whether that’s cornstarch or flour is really up to you. Either way, the starch is important because it keeps the cheese from clumping once it’s heated. The same is true for the wine, which also helps prevent coagulation.
Also, I prefer to make fondue in a heavy-bottom pot. This gives better control over the melting of the cheese, which I prefer to do somewhat slowly. Cheese should ease into its melting phase rather than be forced into it.
Once the cheese is melted and the wine is incorporated into the cheese to become smooth and creamy, transfer it into a fondue pot.
Fortunately for fondue lovers, fondue pots have made a comeback. If you do not have a fondue pot, you can take your pot from stove to table and set it on a trivet. Bear in mind that the cheese will harden fairly quickly so you may need to put it back on the stove to re-melt the cheese.
Although traditional cheese fondue calls for Gruyere and/or Emmentaler cheese, your fondue choices are not limited to these cheeses. Mozzarella, fontina, Monterey Jack, gouda and cheddar are also great choices. So, too, are blue cheese and goat cheese, although these should be mixed with other melting cheeses for the best results.
Two other cheeses not to overlook for fondue are camembert and brie. The trick with these cheeses is to remove the rind before using. While the rind is perfectly edible, it does not melt properly.
Classic Cheese Fondue
1 pound Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated
1 pound Emmentaler or Swiss cheese, coarsely grated
1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 clove garlic, slightly crushed
1 cup good quality, slightly fruity white wine such as a riesling or chenin blanc
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup kirsch (cherry brandy)
Hearty country-style or sourdough bread with crust cut into 1-inch cubes
Warm a fondue pot by filling it with hot water. Pour out water and wipe dry.
In a medium-size bowl, toss together the cheeses and the cornstarch. Set aside.
Rub the inside of a medium-size pot with the garlic clove. Add the wine, lemon juice and cayenne, and heat slowly over medium heat. Once it is hot but not boiling, slowly add cheese, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it is smooth. Add the kirsch and cook for about 3 minutes.
Pour cheese into the fondue pot, or simply bring the cooking pot to the table and set it on a trivet. Serve immediately with the bread cubes. Serves 6.
Monterey Jack-Emmentaler fondue with fennel and tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 small fennel bulbs (about 1-1/4 pounds), cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 medium plum tomatoes (about 3/4 pound), seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
9 ounces Emmentaler cheese, coarsely grated
6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 cup good quality, slightly fruity white wine such as riesling
Focaccia or rustic Italian bread, cubed
In a medium saute pan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the fennel and cook until translucent but still slightly crunchy, 8-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have released their juices and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes. (It is important that you cook away most of the juices or you’ll end up with a watery fondue.)
In a medium bowl, toss together the cheeses, flour and cayenne. Set aside. Warm a fondue pot by filling it with hot water. Pour out the water and wipe dry.
In a medium-size, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the wine over medium heat. Once the wine is hot but not boiling, add a handful of the cheese mixture. Stir until melted before adding more. Continue with the remaining cheese (if the mixture is stiff, add more wine 1 teaspoon at a time). When all of the cheese has melted, stir in the fennel mixture.
Transfer the fondue to the fondue pot. Serve immediately, with cubed focaccia or Italian bread. Serves 4.
Blue cheese camembert fondue with phyllo pear cigars
For cigars:
4 large Bosc pears (about 2 pounds) peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
8 phyllo sheets
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
For fondue:
4 ounces creamy-style blue cheese, cut into chunks
9 ounces Camembert, rind removed, cut into chunks (this is easiest to do when the cheese is cold)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon flour
1 cup white dessert wine, such as Robert Mondavi Moscato d’oro
Pear slices, Asian pear slices and apple slices for serving
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large pan, stir together the pears, water and sugar. Turn the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pears are quite soft, about 10-15 minutes. Set aside.
Stack the phyllo sheets and cut them in half crosswise. Cover with a damp kitchen towel. Set 1 phyllo sheet with the short end toward you and brush it with butter. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the pear mixture in a thin line in the center of the sheet, parallel to the ends. Fold the sheet in half, enclosing the pear mixture. Fold in both sides about 3/4-inch. Starting at the end closest to you, gently roll up the phyllo. Brush the end with butter to seal. (Don’t worry if the phyllo tears in the area of the pear. Just keep rolling, and you’ll cover up the tear.) Place seam side down on a baking sheet and continue with the remaining phyllo and pear mixture.
Bake the cigars 20-25 minutes or until deep golden brown. Let cool at least 15 minutes or to room temperature. Warm a fondue pot by filling it with hot water. Pour out the water and wipe the pot dry.
To make the fondue: In a medium bowl, toss together the cheeses and the flour. In a medium-size heavy-bottomed pot, heat the wine over medium heat. When the wine is simmering, add a small amount of cheese mixture and stir until smooth. Continue with the remaining cheese, adding small amounts at a time. Transfer the fondue to a fondue pot and serve, with phyllo cigars, pear, Asian pear and apple slices. Serves 4.
