Cheese Fondue Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What type of cheese is best for fondue? ›

The best all-around cheeses for fondue are fontina, Gruyère, and gouda. If you aren't sure what to pick, use even amounts of these three. Together are lush and complex. For classic Swiss cheese fondue (meaning one like what you would find in Switzerland), a mix of traditional, firm mountain-style cheeses is best.

There are four commonly prepared types of fondue: cheese fondue, chocolate fondue, oil fondue (also known as meat fondue), and broth fondue. Fondue savoyarde traditionally includes the cheeses comté, beaufort, reblochon, and abondance.

Queso means cheese in Spanish, melted or not. Fondue is French for melted. Fondues are often made with melted cheese and some kind of alcohol. But you can also get fondue that has melted chocolate into which you dip pastry, or hot oil or broth into which you dip pieces of meat.

A mild-flavored sourdough or baguette will work well. You can also use a loaf of dense rye bread, but you may want to cube it instead of tearing it into chunks. Baguettes are the traditional choice for dipping in fondue because they have a mild flavor and crisp crust that's perfect for dipping in creamy, melted cheese.

To cut a steak for fondue, cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. The best cuts of beef for fondue include top sirloin, ribeye, and tenderloin. Cut or slice the meat according to personal preference. Some prefer to slice steaks into long strips, while others cube the meat into small pieces.

Never lick the fondue pot, no matter how tempting. Never eat directly off the fondue fork. Never forget your food in the pot. Never pour the contents of the pot onto your plate.

A cheese fondue mixture should be kept warm enough to keep the fondue smooth and liquid but not so hot that it burns. If this temperature is held until the fondue is finished there will be a thin crust of toasted (not burnt) cheese at the bottom of the caquelon. This is called la religieuse (French for the nun).

Blanched vegetables: broccoli, asparagus, green beans, snow peas, or snap peas. Blanch in a pot of lightly salted boiling water for a minute or two to soften them up just a bit. Drain them well before putting them out on a serving tray.

Bread is the main accompaniment, although boiled potatoes, charcuterie, and cornichons or other pickles can also be served. Veggies, fruit, and boiled eggs are not traditionally used in Swiss fondue. Take a piece of bread and spear it firmly on your fondue fork so that the crust is on the outside.

Plan on cooking, steaming and blanching veggies and potatoes an hour or so before the party. Don't serve damp veggies.

Can you eat fondue by yourself? ›

Well, if you think having a fondue alone might be silly, two fondues or more are not going to ease that feeling. If on the other hand you want to have a fondue alone, go for it. There will be nobody to judge you anyway!

The bread is either served in prepared cubes of 2 to 3 cm on the side (1") or in slices 2 to 3 cm (1") thick. In this last case, each guest rips his own small bread pieces. Although it is not always possible, it is preferable that each bread piece has a bit of crust, to better hold on the fork.

Nacho cheese dip is made from pasteurized process cheese, or, if you make it at home, cheddar, Monterey Jack, and/or Pepper Jack and perhaps some chopped jalapenos. Fondue is made from Gruyère cheese, Emmentaler cheese, dry white wine, cornstarch, lemon juice, kirsch, black pepper, and nutmeg.

Mozzarella, he adds, “melts beautifully and produces those extraordinary stretches because it's at that pH sweet spot of about 5.2”. Then there's the age of the cheese to consider.

Emmental. For another smooth, semi-hard Swiss cheese, Emmental is a great choice. In fact, it's often used with Gruyère when making fondue, so you know it will have a similar melting power.

Neuchâteloise: Gruyère and Emmental (sometimes referred to as the original or traditional fondue). Innerschweiz: Gruyère, Emmental, and Sbrinz. Genevoise: Gruyère (preferably of several stages of maturity) with a little Emmentaler and Valais cheese. Sometimes chopped sautéed morels are added.