Fondue reached the height of its popularity in America in the 1970's, although the recipe appears as early as 1699 in Switzerland. Today, fondue is a fun way to encourage a group dining experience.
There's more to preparing fondue than just melting some cheese. You will require a
fondue pot with a heat source underneath to keep the cheese from setting. You could also purchase special fondue forks for dipping the bread, although a metal skewer will do the job just as well.
The following is an easier version of the traditional Swiss fondue recipe.
Gruyere cheese is used as it does not melt as quickly as other cheeses.
Ingredients500 grams of Gruyere cheese
300 grams of Emmenthal cheese
375 grams of dry white wine
1 clove of garlic, cut in half
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon of cherry liqueur
1 tablespoon cornflour
Nutmeg
White pepper
A baguette or similar bread loaf cut into small cubes
Preparation: Remove the rind from your cheese and cut into cubes. Rub the inside of the fondue pot with the garlic. Combine the cornflour and cherry liqueur to form a paste.
Warm three quarters of the wine over a medium heat – do not let it boil. Add lemon juice and the cubed cheese, one handful at a time. Stir constantly throughout.
When the cheese has melted, pour in the last of the wine and keep stirring.
Add the cherry liqueur paste, nutmeg and white pepper and simmer for a few minutes while stirring.
Transfer to your fondue pot and serve with the bread pieces.
