Swiss Cheese Fondue
This famous but simple dish goes back hunderds of year to when Swiss farmers made this cheese dish themselves on their wood stoves. It is a great savory dish during the cooler months of the year. It takes little time to prepare and can be on your table in less than 30 minutes.
The pot should be a medium to large size (2+ quarts) cast iron with an enamel interior. The forks for the cheese fondue are somewhat different from other fondue forks, but you should not have any problems finding the fondue set in any kitchen or department stores.
Ingredients
- 8 oz shredded Gruyere cheese
- 8 oz shredded Emmenthaler cheese
- 4 oz shredded Appenzeller cheese (if you can't find it, increase the Gruyere cheese accordingly)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 oz Esser Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay
- 1 oz Kirsch (Swiss liquor), optional
- 1 pinch of ground nutmeg
- Fresh black pepper, to taste
- Crusty bread, cut into 1 inch squares (skinny, 1-2 day old French Baguette works best)
- 2 firm apples, peeled, cored and cut into cubes (optional)
You may also consider packages of shredded and pre-measured imported Swiss cheeses, but we prefer to grade the cheeses ourselves.
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl combine the three cheeses and toss to mix well.
- Rub the inside of the bowl with the crushed garlic, leave the garlic in the bowl.
- Add the wine and heat over medium heat until hot, do not boil.
- Add a handful of cheese at a time to the wine mixture, stirring constantly. Add more cheese as previous cheese has melted, bubbling gently. Once all cheese has been added and has the appearance of a light creamy sauce, add optional Kirsch and stir well.
- Add pinch of nutmeg and cracked Black Pepper to your taste.
- Remove pot from heat and place on a sturdy alcohol safety burner on the table.
- Adjust the burner flame so that the fondue continues to bubble gently. Continue to stir mixture as you dip bread into cheese.
- Serve with plenty of crusty bread cubes or optional apple cubes.