Cheese Fondue

A fun and popular plate for sharing

Though it has controversial origins, cheese fondue is an emblematic dish for many occasions. This recipe contains, and it couldn’t be any other way, are cheese, white wine, and a touch of pepper. Some also add garlic and a pinch of nutmeg.

One of the countries that claims this dish is Switzerland, who even established it as their national dish in the 1950s to include it in the army’s recipe regimen. It was the soldiers who popularized this dish in their homes. Additionaly, Savoy (France) and the Italian Aosta Valley claim to be the creators of this popular recipe. Though all dispute its origin, it is certain that it was created in the Western Alps.

If you prepare a fondue, to follow the tradition, you need a fondue pot or saucepan made from cast iron, steel, or ceramic, to heat the fondue. Another important instrument is the gas stove, which will keep the fondue warm. You will also need a special fork, a bit longer than a traditional fork, to submerge the food in the cheese. Make sure that your forks are different colors to ensure that another dinner guest doesn’t end up with your piece of meat.

Though there are cheese fondues, there are also oil fondues. These fondues are prepared by heating oil in a pot to fry meat and later serve it with various sauces.

Ingredients for 2 people

• 1 garlic clove
• 400 g of cheese (Gruyere, Emmental, Vacherin Fribourgeois)
• 300 ml dry white wine
• 100 ml of kirsh (cherry liquor)
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
• Ground black pepper
• Nutmeg (optional)

Also

• Pieces of bread, boiled potato, boiled vegetables

Step-by-step preparation

1. Rub the garlic clove along the sides of a fondue pot (if you don’t have one, you can use a small saucepan), so that the flavor permeates the pot.
2. Add the wine (reserve a little bit to disolve the cornstarch), the cherry liquour, and the cheese, which should be cut into pieces so that it melts quicker. Do not allow the cheese to boil, as you don’t want the oil to separate out.
3. Once melted, add in the rest of the wine, which you should have mixed with the cornstarch. Mix everything so that it unifies. Add a touch of pepper, and if you like the flavor, nutmeg.
4. If you would like, when serving, add a drizzle of kirsch and torch. Serve with boiled vegetables, pieces of bread, or pasta.

‘Harmonies in Flavors and Fragrances’ by Juan Muñoz Ramos.

Cheese fondue, which was always originally made with cheese, though now it can also be made with other products, is a very varied international dish that, thanks to its high protein content, needs to be paired with acidity, carbonation, and freshness to help with a slow but quality digestion. See and observe how these fondues are always served with vegetables or acidic fruits, like certain types of melons, a good vinagrette, etc.

That is what we have done come time to choose the ideal and best-suited drinks to accompany this fondue, which will permit us to have a fun dinner with friends or families, pleasant and easy to prepare, because it is still summer and we have to take full advantage. But, what about the drinks? To begin, we propose a drink that provides freshness and bubbles with a citric flavor and smooth carbonation ideal for digestion. It is, without a doubt, S.Pellegrino, the quintessential culinary water on an international level.

At its side, a limited and almost exclusive wine, like the water, an EX, EX 13, a fresh and acidic white wine, made with a base of Empordà red Garnacha. Creamy, fresh, and subtle, a companion that allows itself to be enticed by the water, and thanks to its carbonic balance allows us to maintain the flavor on our palate much longer, permitting us to taste everything better, maintaining the good sensations for a greater period of time.

See the delicacy and pleasure that can be achieved in such a simple and homemade manner. One thing is certain, we always have to know how to choose, as protocol demonstrates, first the water and then the wine, that way we will never be mistaken. We must always hydrate ourselve but with pleasure.

Tips

• When it comes to the type of cheese, you can use Swiss cheeses (Raclette, Sbrinz), but you can also use French cheeses like Comté, Italian cheeses like Fontina, British cheeses like Cheddar, or Spanish cheeses like Manchego.
• If you can’t find krisch, you can substitute it for more white wine.
• If the fondue is the main dish, calculate about 200 grams of cheese per person.

Make it a perfect meal with our Wellington Turkey, here you can find the step by step recipe.

End this amazing meal with a Browny of Caramel and Toffee Sauce, click here to see the complete recipe.

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