I think it's a crime that fondue suffers from the whole trendy thing. Fondue is in, and then it's out. And then it's in again, and out. We're talking dipping yummy stuff into hot melty yummy other stuff - how can this ever go out of style?
For me, fondue means sticky, melty, wonderful cheese fondue. Cut up some crusty bread cubes, potatoes, veggies, and tart apples, and dip away.
Plus, it's almost mandatory to drink wine with cheese fondue. Hello, home run.
So I say, forget if it's in style or not (and who can keep track, anyway?) Just dust off your pot and serve up a dinner that's all about melted cheese. You'll be glad you did.
Classic Cheese Fondue
Adapted from Fondue by Lenny Rice and Brigid Callinan
Ingredients:
- 1 pound Gruyere cheese
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 clove garlic
- 1 cup dry white wine (please make sure it's on the dry side!)
- 2 tablespoons kirsch (optional)
- Your choice of stuff to dip: Rustic bread cut into cubes (if it's a fresh loaf, I recommend cutting it up a few hours ahead and letting it sit out so it hardens a bit and is less likely to fall off the fondue forks into the cheese), Granny Smith apple (especially yummy), pears, broccoli and cauliflower (I like to steam mine just slightly beforehand), baby potatoes. Oh, and the Fondue cookbook also suggested pickles, so we tried a couple sweet pickle chunks. Surprisingly not bad!
Directions:
- Grate the cheese.
- Toss the cheese with the 2 tablespoons flour.
- Rub the fondue pot with the cut side of the garlic.
Look! Invisible hands!
- Add the wine to the fondue pot, and over medium high heat, bring it to a boil.
- Lower the heat to medium low, and stir in the cheese 1/2 cup at a time, adding more then the previous 1/2 cup is pretty much melted.
- Stir in kirsch if using.
- Enjoy immediately!
