The perfect New Year’s Eve dinner: A bubbling pot of fondue, loaf of crusty bread, and bottle of white (or sparkling!) wine.
This communal dish has a long history in Switzerland. Some say it was first enjoyed by peasants in the Swiss alps to make use of leftover cheese and bread when stored food stocks ran low. In the 1930s, the Swiss Cheese Union declared fondue the national dish of Switzerland. And the dish has been growing in popularity ever since.
The ingredient list is fairly simple. Just pick up a loaf of bread and a couple of varieties of Alpine cheese (here’s the super cool story about how and where Alpine cheese is made), and the rest you probably already have in your pantry. If you don’t have a fondue pot, no worries. A double boiler or heavy pot will do the trick.
Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove, halved
- 1 pound Gruyère cheese, grated
- 1/2 pound Emmental cheese or Raclette cheese, grated
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kirsch (or apple cider)
- Freshly ground pepper
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes
- An assortment of pickled vegetables (cornichons, pearl onions, carrots, etc.)
Instructions
- Rub the inside of a cheese fondue pot or double boiler with the garlic clove; discard the garlic.
- Combine the grated cheese with the wine, cornstarch and lemon juice in the fondue pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, until the cheeses begin to melt.
- Add the kirsch and a generous pinch each of pepper and nutmeg and cook, stirring gently, until smooth and bubbling, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the pot to the table and keep warm over the fondue pot warmer. Serve with bread and assorted pickled vegetables.
Enjoy!
Alpine cheese is a style of cheese made in the high peaks of western Europe. Learn more…..
Adapted from foodandwine.com.