Cheese Fondue
The Swiss national dish — a bubbling pot of melted cheese, wine, and garlic for dipping bread.
Comfort Food
Date Night
Family Friendly
Ingredients
- 200g Gruyère cheese, grated
- 200g Emmental or Vacherin cheese, grated
- 1 clove garlic, halved
- 200ml dry white wine (Fendant or Chasselas ideal)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp kirsch (cherry brandy) or lemon juice
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Pinch of white pepper
- 1 large crusty bread loaf, cut into 3cm cubes
- Optional dippers: boiled small potatoes, cornichons, pickled onions
Instructions
- 1 Rub the inside of a fondue pot or heavy saucepan with the cut garlic clove. Leave the garlic in the pot.
- 2 Toss grated cheeses with cornstarch in a bowl until evenly coated.
- 3 Pour wine into the pot. Heat over medium heat until small bubbles appear — do not boil.
- 4 Add cheese a handful at a time, stirring in a figure-eight pattern with a wooden spoon. Wait for each addition to melt before adding more.
- 5 Once all cheese is melted and smooth, stir in kirsch, nutmeg, and white pepper.
- 6 Transfer to a fondue burner at the table. Keep the flame low — the fondue should bubble gently, never boil.
- 7 Spear bread cubes on fondue forks and dip, swirling to coat. Stir the pot occasionally to keep it smooth.
- 8 When nearly finished, the crust at the bottom — called la religieuse — is the best part. Scrape it out and share.
About This Recipe
Fondue is Switzerland's most famous contribution to world cuisine. A communal pot of melted cheese, white wine, and a hint of garlic, kept warm over a small flame while everyone dips cubes of crusty bread on long forks.
The classic moitié-moitié ("half-half") blend uses equal parts Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois, though Emmental is a common substitute. The cornstarch-wine mixture keeps the cheese smooth and prevents it from splitting. Swiss tradition says if you drop your bread in the pot, you buy the next round of drinks.