Cheese fondue: don’t skip these tips
For many people, cheese is synonymous with conviviality. Even more convivial: melted cheese! As far as I’m concerned, cheese fondue is the ultimate combination of culinary indulgence and a really fun social activity. By using the right cheeses and techniques, you can make the perfect cheese fondue that turns every meal into a celebration.
How do you make the perfect cheese fondue?
Making the perfect cheese fondue is easier than you think, as long as you follow a few important steps. What do you need? A fondue pot, a burner and special forks, but above all, good cheese!
1. Choose the right cheeses
You make the perfect traditional Swiss fondue moitié-moitié (in other words: ‘half-and-half’ fondue) with a mix of Swiss Le Gruyère AOP and the creamy, smooth semi-hard Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP. These Swiss cheeses melt well and provide a creamy texture and deep flavour. They give your cheese fondue softness and character. You can also add other cheeses, such as Comté, Appenzeller or, for enthusiasts, a little blue cheese.
2. Grate the cheeses
Take the cheese out of its packaging ten minutes before use so it can breathe. To get the perfect mixture, you need to grate the cheeses before melting them in the fondue pot. Choose a grater with large holes; this gives you thick strands of cheese that melt more evenly.
3. Get the balance right
Allow approximately 100 grams of Swiss Le Gruyère AOP and 100 grams of Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP per person. Use these quantities for any other cheeses you want to use as well.
4. Garlic for extra flavour
Rub the inside of the fondue pot with half a clove of garlic before adding the ingredients. This gives the mixture a subtle aroma.
5. Use white wine
White wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc, helps the cheese melt and adds a subtle acidity that balances the rich flavour of the cheese. Warm the wine over low heat before adding the cheese. Drinking wine with your cheese fondue? Here you’ll find delicious wine tips for cheese fondue.
6. Stir in the right direction
Once the wine is warm, add the cheese a little at a time. Stir with a spatula, constantly making figure eights, so the melting process proceeds evenly and the cheese doesn’t stick to the bottom of the fondue pot.
7. Perfect dippers
Baguette (it doesn’t have to be fresh; stale bread works too) is essential, but also try vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and mushrooms. For extra variety, you can even add fried or boiled potatoes or your favourite charcuterie. Here we recommend even more dippers for your cheese fondue.
8. Keep the temperature constant
Use a burner to keep the fondue over low to medium heat and prevent it from cooling down or burning. Your fondue must not reach boiling point!
9. Add an egg
The very best thing about a cheese fondue: that last crispy bit stuck to the warm caquelon (fondue pot). In Switzerland, they call this ‘la religieuse’, or ‘the nun’. To loosen it from the pot, crack an egg into it and turn it into a cheesy scrambled egg. The ‘grande finale’ of the evening!
10. Ventilate well
Temperatures rise above such a steaming fondue. Especially if you’re drinking a fair amount of wine with it. Getting rosy-cheeked is nice; overheating isn’t. So open the windows slightly to let the air circulate properly.
Also read:
- 9x the best cheese fondue in Amsterdam
- A climate-controlled cabinet for your cheese is a brilliant idea
- My husband ordered a cheese board in Japan (and it was a bad idea)
