Fondue

Cheese Fondue is the National dish of Switzerland. In the mountain valleys of Switzerland, where very little was available during the harsh winter months, freshly baked rustic bread like Weizenbrot coated with warm cheesy fondue made a hearty and filling meal.

I have fond memories of fondue. Outside my daughter's dance school every Friday night the Moms would set up a tailgate party. Fondue takes me back to the parking lot on the far side of the school. We talked and laughed around the food. When the girls got out they made a beeline for the leftovers. We always had plenty and it would be gone within minutes. That was when I invested in a fondue set. Nancy made the best fondue and I wanted to try it at home.

I have not used the set in a long time and we are having a really cold spell so fondue seemed ideal on a particularly cold night. Warm fresh out of the oven Weizenbrot covered with gooey cheese...dinner was good.


Fondue contains a good amount of wine. I substitute apple cider and it tastes great. Make sure you use good quality cheese as it is the cheese that will determine the taste of the fondue. If you don't have a fondue pot you can use any stove safe pot or pan.

You will need
7 oz Gruyere
7 oz Emmenthaler
3/4 cup apple cider divided
1 pod garlic
1/2 tsp. cornstarch

Dissolve cornstarch in a little cider and keep aside. Place the fondue pot on medium heat with cheese and the remaining cider. Cook until the cheese melts.


Add the cornstarch and cider mixture. Cook until the mixture is homogeneous.


Light the warmer on the fondue server. Transfer the pot of cheese to the fondue server. Serve with fresh made Weizenbrot cut into bite size pieces.


Enjoy on a cold winter night.

Comments

  1. Nice recipe, Varada! Thanks for sharing this recipe. Fondue always reminds me of Max Brenner, a restaurant here in NYC. That is a chocoholic's paradise. And the only fondue tasted is chocolate fondue.

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    1. Did you know that the chocolate fondue has its origins in NYC? I bet it tastes great.

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  2. i have had awful experiences in sweden way back when i visited, thanks to the very reason you explained, harsh winters but yes, their cheese based dishes were definitely life saver, although i would have never thought fondue was their national dish...all i knew they ate was meat

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  3. wow such an inviting fondue to go with bread :) perfectly done !!

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  4. Varada, it is lovely reading about your memories...those are what makes the food even more fonder!..never made cheese fondue myself, sounds addictive..

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    1. How true Srivalli. Memories do make the food better.

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  5. Nice to read post Varada.Never made this but sounds Delicious :)

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  6. I have a fondue set which I've never used. It's still in the box stored way on top of the kitchen cabinets. I really need to dust it off and try it out soon...thx for the recipe

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    1. This cold winter is a good time to take the set down.

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  7. I have never tried making fondue and it was a very interesting read up about how and why they use it in winters! Looks delicious...

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  8. Looks yum ! Love the mix of cheese here ...

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  9. This recipe reminded me of the fondue pot I bought years ago -- not as fancy as yours -- mmm, I've to look for it now :-) Thanks for the cheese fondue recipe, will try it out sometime.

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