Cheese fondue is a classic Swiss dish, consisting of a mixture of cheeses, seasonings and, as a rule, alcohol. It is prepared according to different recipes, but it always turns out equally tender and aromatic. Pieces of chopped baguette, vegetables, some fruits, ham or smoked sausages can be dipped in melted cheese.
Pick your recipe
Secrets of the Perfect Fondue
The Swiss say that good fondue cannot be made from only one type of cheese. For an ideal dish, you need at least two. You can experiment by mixing different cheeses in different proportions and getting all new flavoring nuances. Of the cheeses suitable for making fondue, the most famous are:
- classic Swiss cheese;
- fountain;
- emmentaler;
- cheddar;
- gruyere;
- monterey jack.
To cheeses, without fail add liquid. Most often it is a wine that provides the proper acidity necessary so that the cheese does not become “rubbery". Dry white wines such as Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc are well suited. Some people like to add natural apple cider to the fondue, which also has a certain acidity. As another flavoring shortly before being prepared for fondue. Add a little strong alcohol - brandy, cognac, calvados, cherry liqueur. A little milk is poured into the non-alcoholic fondue, and acidity is provided with lemon juice.
Another essential ingredient in good fondue is a thickener. It is usually corn starch, which, in principle, can be replaced with wheat flour.
The cheese, before melting it, is rubbed so that it melts evenly. The fondue itself is melted initially on the stove, and a special burner only maintains the temperature of the finished dish. To get a perfectly smooth fondue, it is better to add the cheese to the pan gradually, rather than putting it all at once. The finished fondue is poured into a special pot, which, according to tradition, is pre-rubbed with garlic cloves.
Traditionally, Swiss fondue is served with French baguette cut into cubes, but you can also try a more original taste, dipping boiled or fried pieces of potato into cheese, cubes of boiled or smoked meat, pieces of apples or grapes.