cheese fondue

Fondue (swiss for "melty deliciousness") is one of those foods that seems fancy, but really isn't.  I use a simple fondue recipe that's easy to divide or multiply depending on how many people I'm feeding.

This recipe serves 4-6 people.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry white wine like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed

• 1/2 pound shredded Swiss cheese

• 1/2 pound shredded Gruyere cheese (you can use all Swiss if the Gruyere is too pricey)

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Dippers

baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes

vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and asparagus (blanched and drained)

sliced apples (squeeze lemon juice on them so they don't brown)

Directions

1. Rub the fondue pot with the garlic clove.  Most recipes will have you discard the clove at this point, but I like to add it to the wine for extra garlicky goodness.
2. In a bowl, combine the cheeses and the flour.  Stir to combine.  This will help the fondue from separating and will help thicken it
3. Simmer the wine with the garlic clove in the fondue pot.  Don't boil it.  You're looking for tiny bubbles.
4. Remove the garlic clove from the wine.
5. Add the cheese mixture to the wine, about 1/4 cup at a time.  Stir to combine.  I like stirring in a "figure 8" motion.  Keep adding the cheese to the wine until it's all combined.
6. When all the cheese has melted, stir in the salt and nutmeg.  I know the nutmeg seems random, but it's found in most cream/cheese sauces and it's delicious, so add it.  

My friends gave me a fondue pot for my 24th birthday. At that point I had never even had fondue, but now I love it.  (wine + cheese + bread = perfect meal)  If you don't have one, you can get a great one at Crate and Barrel for under $40.

Happy fondue-ing!