Desperate Housewives: Traditional Cheese Fondue

Traditional Cheese Fondue

Fondue for dinner! On very rare occasions, when I was growing up, we’d hear that from my mom when she was too tired to cook a meal.  But it always meant fruit dipped in chocolate.  This recipe is is bread dipped in cheese instead!

First the inside of the fondue pot is rubbed with a fresh garlic clove that’s been cut in half.  Then white wine is poured inside and heated to a simmer.

Now in goes the cheese until it’s completely melted.  It didn’t mix very well with the wine at this point, but the recipe warns about that.

The last thing that’s added is a mix of cornstarch and fruit brandy, with some ground pepper.

Mine still wasn’t blending well at this point, so I did what the recipe suggested.  I took a whisk and mixed and mixed and mixed until it finally combined.  To be honest, it was still slightly separated with more cheese sitting at the bottom and the top being slightly watery, but my arm was tired and I was hungry!

The last step, after cutting up bread to dip in the fondue, is to serve the fondue with a candle below to keep it warm.

Taste: 7/10

If you really enjoy strong cheeses, you’ll like this recipe.  I actually do enjoy the occasional strong cheese, but this was too much for me.  My husband thought the same.

Difficulty: Average

It’s a bit tricky to get it all to blend properly, and you do need to keep an eye on it constantly to make sure nothing burns.

Cost: Average / Pricey

You will need a garlic clove, white wine, Gruyere cheese, Emmenthaler (or Swiss) cheese, kirsch (or other clear fruit brandy), cornstarch, black pepper, and a French baguette.