Desperate Housewares: Fondue Pots

Desperate Housewares: Fondue Pots

The Wife celebrates her birthday December 24, which means I have to get twice the gifts in a relatively short period of time. This year, at my wit's end (there's only so much golden treasure I can heap upon her), and wandering in a daze around the Marion Street Cheese Shop, I fixed on a fondue pot in that seventies color, brilliant orange.

I bought it.

Turns out, fondue is a fun way to bring the family together, the warm food is welcome on a winter night, and it provides me with yet another way to enjoy cheese.

What I'm less than thrilled about is the package of fondue cheese I bought: Appenzeller, though described by Eric Larson (the genial cheesemonger) as "stronger" than other varieties, and though the package announces that it's "uniquely spicey," it lacks the funky punch I seek.

So, I'm looking for guidance as to how I might go about making my own and better cheese fondue mixture. My sense is that I can use just about any cheese, add some white wine (maybe kirsch) and bada bing, but I'm open to suggestions for fondue recipes.

Hammond

David,

I've always liked using Emmenthaler, or 1/2 Emmenthaler, 1/2 Gruyere.
First rub the pot with a cut clove of garlic, then heat about 2 cups dry white wine (this is to 1 lb. cheese). While the wine is heating, measure about 3 Tablespoons kirsch or cognac into a small cup and mix in 1 teaspoon cornstarch. When you start to see little bubbles forming in the pot, gradually add the cheese and begin stirring slowing making sure the mixture doesn't reach the boiling point. Once you've added all the cheese, then add the kirsch mixture and cook until the fondue has thickened.

Hope this works out!

Kim

Kim pretty much nailed the classic recipe -- nothing to add there but what goes on the forks:

Apples are tasty, but not much cheese clings
Ditto for carrots (blanch to at least soften a bit)
I like the bread a bit dry or toasted a smidge. Dark ryes in particular, although french and italian loafs are more of a classic
Mushroom caps

With different cheeses, I might have other suggestions for carrying agents (e.g. jalapenos in cheddar, celery in bleu)

Kwe730 wrote:David,

I've always liked using Emmenthaler, or 1/2 Emmenthaler, 1/2 Gruyere.
First rub the pot with a cut clove of garlic, then heat about 2 cups dry white wine (this is to 1 lb. cheese). While the wine is heating, measure about 3 Tablespoons kirsch or cognac into a small cup and mix in 1 teaspoon cornstarch. When you start to see little bubbles forming in the pot, gradually add the cheese and begin stirring slowing making sure the mixture doesn't reach the boiling point. Once you've added all the cheese, then add the kirsch mixture and cook until the fondue has thickened.

Hope this works out!

Kim

Kim,

Wow, that's a lot more wine than I anticipated, but I guess one needs to thin out the mass o' cheese.

Thanks,

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:Wow, that's a lot more wine than I anticipated, but I guess one needs to thin out the mass o' cheese.

That is a lot more wine than I use. I agree with rubbing the pot with garlic and using 1/2# of ementhaler and 1/2# of gruyere. I grate the cheeses and toss together with 1T of flour. After the cheese are melted, I add 1/4 cup of white wine.

Here is another thing I like to do with a fondue pot: completely mash up a few anchovies and heat in the fondue pot with a package of butter. Then put shelled shrimp on a fork and cook in the anchovy butter. The leftover butter is great for clams, mussels, pasta, etc.

Bill/SFNM

David,

I know it sounds like a lot, but once it starts simmering, then you toss in the cheese, then the kirsch, let it simmer for a bit, the consistency is really nice. I've been using this recipe for (dare I say) 25 years and it's never let me down.

Kim

I was chatting with Erik Larson of Marion Street Cheese Market, and he confirmed what I had been starting to suspect: you can use just about any easy-melting cheese for fondue. Gruyere and Emmenthaler seem to be the traditional varieties, but you can use pretty much any other: Cheddar, Gouda, Raclette, etc., though probably the harder ones like Parmesan might be a little more difficult (though if they're grated, you could probably use those, too).

The constants, aside from the cheese, are wine and a binder, like flour or cornstarch. Other than that, the options are very open.

Hammond