The trick to a successful fondue (other than the obvious one of having wonderful people around with whom to share it) is to ensure that the cheese dipping sauce stays smooth. Cheese has a propensity to get stringy or to “seize up” into clumps—the fat separating from the proteins.
5 Tips to Making Perfect Cheese Fondue
Use the right cheese: Avoid cheeses that are stringy when melted, like cheddar or Mozzarella. Use a good Gruyere for a classic fondue, or Monterey Jack. Aged cheeses do well. Raclette is classic for fondue.Coat the grated cheese with cornstarch: Coating the grated cheese with a starch like cornstarch or flour will help stabilize the sauce and keep it from separating.Don’t over-heat the cheese after it has melted: Cheese tends to ball up and separate at higher temps, so once the cheese has melted, just heat it enough to keep it warm.Don’t over-stir the cheese, doing so will encourage stringiness or cause the cheese to clump.Serve the fondue warm: Don’t let the cheese cool down too much before serving, as it tends to get stringier and tougher as it cools.
Wine and Cheese in Fondue: A Perfect Pairing
Food science author Harold McGee suggests several things in his book On Food and Cooking to ensure a perfect fondue: “The combination of cheese and wine is delicious but also savvy. The wine contributes two essential ingredients for a smooth sauce: water, which keeps the casein proteins moist and dilute, and tartaric acid, which pulls the cross-linking calcium off of the casein proteins and binds tightly to it, leaving them glueless and happily separate. (Alcohol has nothing to do with fondue stability.) The citric acid in lemon juice will do the same thing. If it’s not too far gone, you can sometimes rescue a tightening cheese sauce with a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of white wine.”
The Best Pot for Cheese Fondue
Cheese fondue doesn’t start out in a fondue pot. It’s made in a heavy-bottomed pot on the stovetop and transferred into a fondue pot that’s designed to keep the cheese warm and melted. Some use a flame underneath to keep the fondue warm. Others are electric. Fondue pots can be metal or earthenware. While both are effective, the earthenware ones may distribute the heat more evenly. Some enameled cast iron and earthenware ones, such as Emile Henry Flame Ceramic, can even be heated on ranges so you can cook the fondue directly in the fondue pot you’ll be serving it in. If you’re in the market for a fondue pot, check out thrift stores and garage sales. There always seems to be one or two someone is getting rid of.
What To Serve With Fondue
Caesar Salad Mediterranean Mezze Platter Gimlet Cocktail Pepperoni Calzone Herb-Spiced Mixed Nuts
8 ounces Swiss-style cheese such as Jarlsberg or Emmenthaler, shredded
8 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch (use cornstarch if cooking gluten-free)
1 garlic clove, halved crosswise
1 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon kirsch (cherry brandy)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
For Serving:
Day-old French bread, cubed (skip for gluten-free version)
Cubed ham (skip for vegetarian option)
Broccoli, blanched
Carrots, blanched
Cauliflower, blanched
Cherry tomatoes
Green bell pepper, chopped
Apples, peeled and chopped
Pears, peeled and chopped
Cook just until the cheese is melted and creamy. Do not let boil. To eat, spear dipping foods with fondue forks or small forks. Dip to coat with the cheese, and eat.
