Traditional cheese fondue

January 17, 2017
Traditional cheese fondue

If you don’t have a fondue pot, simply make your fondue in a good-looking saucepan. To serve, place the saucepan on a raised wire rack and light a tea-light candle underneath to keep the cheese warm. Use forks for an alternative to skewers (I find forks hold the bread better – no fishing around the bottom of the pot for lost pieces of bread). 

Traditional cheese fondue

Serves: 4 - 6
Cooking Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

  • ½ peeled garlic clove (do not crush), to rub
  • 375ml (1½ cups) dry white wine
  • 15ml (1 tbsp) cornflour
  • 30ml (2 tbsp) water
  • 225g Emmenthal cheese, grated
  • 225g Gruyere, grated
  • 15ml (1 tbsp) kirsch liqueur (optional)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 French baguette, cut into chunks and toasted in the oven (preheated to 180˚C) until golden and crunchy

Instructions

1

Rub the inside of a small saucepan with the ½ garlic clove, then discard the garlic. Add the wine to a pot and simmer, about 10 minutes, until the alcohol has cooked off and the wine has reduced to a few tablespoons.

2

Stir together the cornflour and water until smooth and set aside until needed.

3

Add the cheeses to the pot and place over very low heat, stirring continuously, until the cheese has just melted (do not boil at this stage – the cheese will end up as a stringy ball). Stir the cornflour mixture into the cheese and simmer over medium heat, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the kirsch, if desired, then taste and season accordingly.

4

Serve, as described in the recipe introduction, with chunks of toasted baguette for dipping.

Notes

Recipe by Claire Ferrandi Photograph by Annalize Nel

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