Classic Cheese Fondue Recipes

CHEESE FONDUE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, coat the cheeses with cornstarch and set aside. Rub the inside of the ceramic fondue pot with the garlic, then discard.
• Over medium heat, add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a gentle simmer. Gradually stir the cheese into the simmering liquid. Melting the cheese gradually encourages a smooth fondue. Once smooth, stir in cherry brandy, mustard and nutmeg.
• Arrange an assortment of bite-sized dipping foods on a lazy Susan around fondue pot. Serve with chunks of French and pumpernickel breads. Some other suggestions are Granny Smith apples and blanched vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and asparagus. Spear with fondue forks or wooden skewers, dip, swirl and enjoy!

CLASSIC CHEESE FONDUE

Steps:

• Rub cut side of garlic on inside of large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan, preferably cast iron, rubbing the bottom and halfway up the sides. Add wine and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss cheeses with cornstarch. Add a handful at a time to simmering wine, stirring until first handful melts before adding next. Reduce heat to medium and stir constantly until cheese is completely melted. Add kirsch, if using, and heat until bubbling, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, if desired. Serve with crusty bread and other accompaniments. (See variations below)

CLASSIC CHEESE FONDUE

Steps:

• Add white wine, cherry brandy, garlic clove, cayenne, nutmeg, and cornstarch to a saucepan. Whisk to combine and place on the stove over medium heat. Cook, whisking occasionally, until mixture thickens slightly and you can see wisps of steam in the pan, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add Gruyere and Emmentaler cheeses, one handful at a time, slowly whisking after each addition until melted. Continue whisking until all cheese is melted and sauce is very smooth. Remove from the heat and transfer into a fondue pot to serve.
• Keep sauce warm while serving so it doesn't solidify.

CLASSIC CHEESE FONDUE

Steps:

• Toss the Gruyere and Emmental with the flour in a medium bowl.
• Combine the wine and garlic in a fondue pot or medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Gradually add the cheese mixture while stirring constantly, simmering until the cheese is incorporated and thoroughly melted. Stir in the mustard, nutmeg and cherry brandy if using.
• If you are using a fondue pot, set it over its burner. Otherwise, pour the mixture into a slow cooker and set it to "warm." Serve with an assortment of dippers such as baguette cubes, sliced vegetables and sliced fruit.

CLASSIC CHEESE FONDUE

Steps:

• In a bowl, toss the Gruyere and Emmentaler with the cornstarch.
• Rub the inside of a cheese fondue pot, or medium, enameled cast-iron casserole with the garlic, then add the wine and bring to a simmer.
• Add the cheese mixture all at once.
• Using a wooden spoon, stir over moderately low heat just until the cheese is melted and smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the Kirsch and season with salt and pepper.
• Serve with the bread, salami and pickles.
• Make ahead: The fondue can be refrigerated overnight and reheated in a microwave, or on the stove over low heat.

CLASSIC CHEESE FONDUE

Steps:

• Toss cheeses in a medium bowl with flour, cayenne pepper, and white pepper to coat, and set aside. Heat wine in a fondue pot over medium heat until it starts to bubble, about 6 minutes.
• Stir in cheese mixture, a little at a time. Stir in kirsch. Continue to cook, stirring, until cheese has melted, 6 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. The mixture should be smooth and almost bubbling. Transfer pot to its stand set over a burner for up to 1 hour. Serve immediately with bread.

CHEESE FONDUE

Steps:

• Cut the baguette into bite-size pieces, and put in a serving bowl. Scrub the potatoes, and transfer to a pot of water over medium heat; boil until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, and set aside to cool in a serving bowl.
• When you're about 15 minutes from sitting down at the table, rub the inside of a fondue pot with the cut end of the garlic, then discard the garlic. Whisk together the wine and cornstarch, then pour through a fine-mesh strainer into the fondue pot. Put the pot over medium heat and continue to whisk until the liquid comes to a simmer, then turn down the heat a little and ditch the whisk for a wooden spoon. Add the Gruyère and Appenzeller, gently stirring to help it heat and melt evenly. When it's almost smooth, turn the heat down to low, and add the Vacherin Fribourgeois. It might look alternately lumpy and oily, but keep stirring, and it will get smooth again.
• At this point, you may need to adjust the texture of the fondue to make it just right for dipping. If it's too thick and resisting the wooden spoon, add a splash of white wine to thin it slightly. Season with a tablespoon of kirschwasser and a few grinds of black pepper, and stir well. Take the fondue pot to the table, where you can keep it warm over a lit Sterno, and stir it occasionally to keep the bottom from browning. (If it gets too hot and you have an adjustable lid for the flame, turn it down or off. If it cools too much and solidifies, carry it back to the kitchen and stir it over higher heat.) Serve with bread, potatoes and cornichons on the side.
• When you get down to the bottom of the pot, if you've still got an appetite, crack an egg directly into the fondue pot, and let it cook over the last bits of browning cheese. When the white is about set but the yolk is still runny, turn off the heat below the pot, and dip in any remaining bread.

CLASSIC CHEESE FONDUE VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Combine cheese and cornstarch in a bag. Shake to make sure cheese is coated with cornstarch.
• Rub inside of pot with garlic clove cut in half. Discard garlic.
• Note: When choosing your wine you may choose a color or flavor other than what is listed here. Sherry is good for appetizer fondue; Champagne, Nechatel or Fendant de Sion are good for either appetizers or the main course; and Rhine, Moselle, Chablis, Sauterne are best for main dishes.
• Pour in wine and lemon juice. Warm until bubbles rise to the surface. Do not cover or boil.
• Remember to stir constantly from now one. Add a handful of cheeses, keeping the heat medium (do not boil), when melted add another handful. After all the cheese is melted and bubbling add a dash of nutmeg and pepper. Transfer to fondue pot and keep warm over fondue burner.
• Note: If fondue becomes too thick add a bit of warmed wine. If it separates combine 1 T cornstarch and 2 T wine and stir into fondue.

CLASSIC CHEESE FONDUE

Steps:

• Pour the wine and lemon juice into a heavy-based pan over a medium-low heat and warm until steaming. Add all of the cheese, a handful at a time, whisking between each addition until all the cheese has been added. Continue to stir for 4-5 mins until everything is fully melted, smooth and creamy. Mix the cornflour with the kirsch in a small bowl, then stir this into the cheese mixture. Continue to cook over a low heat for a minute more.
• Rub the garlic on the inside of the fondue pot, if you like, then carefully pour the cheese mixture into the pot and immediately place it over the flame. (If you don't have a fondue set, add the garlic along with the wine in step one, then remove and discard it before you add the kirsch mixture.) Serve immediately with crusty bread, boiled new potatoes, vegetable crudités or cornichons for dunking, if you like. You can place the fondue back over a low heat if you need to reheat it after serving.

CHEESE LOVER'S FONDUE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 1 tablespoon wine; set aside. Combine cheeses and remaining cornstarch; set aside. , Rub sides of a large saucepan with cut sides of garlic; discard garlic. Add remaining wine to the pan and heat over medium heat until bubbles form around sides of pan. Stir in lemon juice. , Reduce heat to medium-low; add a handful of cheese mixture. Stir constantly, using a figure-eight motion, until almost completely melted. Continue adding cheese, one handful at a time, allowing cheese to almost completely melt between additions. Stir in the garlic powder, oregano, Worcestershire sauce and pepper sauce. Stir cornstarch mixture; gradually add to the pan. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and smooth. Keep warm. Serve with miniature smoked sausages, dill pickles and pretzels.