Cheese Fondue

Posted by Big Dog at 2/24/2009 11:07 AM
Categories: Recipes

Swiss Cheese Fondue

Those of you who have a personal relationship with me, or have been following our work,  will know that I'm a little outspoken and perhaps a tad gruff.  I sometimes shoot my mouth off and then realize that it might not be the smartest thing to do. My wonderful spouse Barbara is so understanding, most of the time, but last week the Big Dog was in the dog house for another stupid comment, something about her fassion sense. I had to come up with something to melt the ice and get back into the house. Hey a cheese fondue, like when we were at university in Montreal, to reminisce about old times, new love, yeah that will do fine.

The origin of fondue has as many variations, the one I like the best is that two armies were battling and at the end of the day would stop to collect their wounded and dead. Food was somewhat scarce and one side had only stale bread the other hardened cheese. They got together and melted the cheese with some wine and dunked the bread in the cheese mix to soften it, the rest is history.  What is likely true in this story is that the bread was stale and the cheese was hard, necessity was more likely the catalyst here.  However, come to think of it, this is not unlike my household, two warring fractions settling their differences over some melted cheese and bread... I wonder...  

In any event Swiss cheese fondue is as simple as it gets,

1 lb of Swiss cheese (all Emmental or 1/2  Gruyere)
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp of corn starch
1 cup white wine
2 oz of Kirsch
A loaf of crusty bread

Variations include pepper, nutmeg and lemon


Rub down a heavy pot with the garlic clove and add the wine, heat to almost boil. Slowly add grated cheese in batches and mix to incorporate. As the cheese is melting mix the corn starch with the Kirsch and add at the last moment. If the cheese is not blending add a few drops of lemon. Season with pepper and nutmeg if you so desire.

 
Pour the mix into your fondue pot and place over a heat source at the table. Cut your bread to bit size pieces. I like baguettes due to the crust ratio, regular bread just falls off your fork.

So Friday night the kids are gone and my dear wife and i have a bottle of wine and and a nice cheese fondue... Score... Not, frackin kids cancel their movie and show up. They are all over the fondue and then when it's gone they finish my bread with jam and peanut butter.

I did manage to score a 1/2 cup of the cheese to ramp up the recipe a bit. My thought was a little addition of chipotle and some chopped bacon, Hmmm bacon with a kick. YUCK, it was not a good idea, some things are just best left classic, no lesnoiracochon variation here.

The night was not all lost, at least I'm out of the dog house. 


Cheers from the Big Dog


  





 
  
 

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