The word Fondue comes from the French word Fondre and it means to melt or to blend. They should have named it after the French word for outstandingly delicious because dunking crusty bread into a pot of hot cheese just can not be beat. There are so many varieties and types of fondues out there that perhaps one word really can’t describe it.
I’m a huge fan of fondue. In fact the first website that I ever built (back in 2002) was all about fondue. I used to spend my weekends trying fondue recipes for that site and it was loads of fun. A few years back I let the domain expire and now I have about a hundred great fondue recipes just sitting on my hard drive. Well guess what, it’s time start sharing there here at GoodStuffAtHome.
If you want to try fondue the best place to start is this Cheese Fondue recipe.
Cheese Fondue Recipe
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 cups dry white wine
- 1/2 lb Emmenthal Cheese (grated)
- 1/2 lb Gruyeye Cheese(grated)
- 2 tablespoons Corn Starch
- 3 tablespoons Kirsch *
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- Nutmeg to taste
Cut the garlic clove in half and rub the inside of the fondue pot with it then discard
Pour White Wine into fondue pot and heat at medium setting – should be hot but do not boil (do not add all of the wine)
Place the grated cheeses and corn starch in a bowl and mix until evenly coated
Slowly add the cheeses one handful at a time to the fondue pot while stirring (do not add all of the cheese)
Add Kirsch, White Pepper, Nutmeg while stirring
Note:
If fondue is too loose add more cheese
If fondue is too stiff add more wine
To Dip:
Italian Bread (or any crusty bread, sourdough, rye, etc.) cut into bite-sized cubes
Vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, etc.
Sliced Granny Smith Apples or pears
Cooked ham cubes
Sausage
Baby Potatoes
* Kirsch is the common name for a clear cherry brandy called Kirschwasser. It’s usually served as an apéritif but it also adds a nice complex flavor to cheese fondue. Unfortunately, It can be hard to find and tends to be expensive, especially if you only plan to use a few tablespoons of it in your fondue. Feel free to leave it out of the recipe or substitute splash of regular brandy.
