When I was a young kid in the mid-1980’s, my family would get together over every New Year’s holiday with my Uncle David and his family at various lodges around the Midwest for a few days of skiing, sledding, and games. In fact it was on one of those trips that I fractured my skull sledding and was struck with my previously blogged about, self-diagnosed Gourmand Syndrome.
Inevitably on one of those nights, the kids would notice what we then considered a noxious aroma coming from one of the adult’s rooms as they fired up the pot for some cheese fondue made from one of those grocery store packages. After I began cooking professionally about ten years later, I reintroduced cheese fondue as a holiday tradition that my family and I enjoy every Christmas Eve in front of the fireplace. It is such an awesome interactive appetizer that keeps people occupied while I’m putting the finishing touches on the main course. Even my young nieces and nephews seem to love dipping bread and fruit into the luscious melted cheese. Perhaps that is testament enough to the more adventurous nature of American palates today.
Yesterday I fired up the fondue pot here at the office and invited the Dillon crew down to the lab. We had ourselves an impromptu late morning fondue party, dipping chunks of bread that I had test-baked the day before. The following recipe works amazingly well and is one of the easiest appetizers out there. I can’t think of any better use for a loaf of Great Harvest bread this holiday season than dipping it in silky, melted cheese.
Cheese Fondue
Serves 6-8 As an Appetizer
Total Time: 25 minutes
Active Time: 25
Special Equipment: An electric or sterno fondue pot
Ingredients
1 ¾ cups dry white wine
2 cloves of garlic, lightly smashed
1 # Gruyere cheese, cut into small cubes
½ # Emmentaller cheese, cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 loaf Great Harvest bread, cubed into bite size pieces
1 apple, cored and cubed
1 pear, cored and cubed
Method
Mix cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth. Place wine and garlic cloves in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove garlic, reduce heat to low and add half of the cheese.
Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the cheese is almost melted. Add the remaining cheese and the cornstarch slurry. Continue stirring until cheese is completely melted and mixture is a smooth, silky consistency but do not allow mixture to boil. Pour into fondue pot and adjust heat as necessary to keep mixture hot, but not simmering.
Serve with bread, apple and pear for dipping.
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