Imagine family or friends dropping by on a cold winter's night. What could be cozier than getting around the table and whipping up a meal in a matter of minutes, with a minimum of fuss?
Ingredients
All you need for making a Swiss fondue for four people is a pound of shredded Gruyere, a pound of Emmenthaler, two triangles of La Vache Qui Rit (French for The Laughing Cow cheese brand) and two tablespoons of cornstarch.
You can add a glass of white wine or a quarter of a cup of kirsch, but adding alcohol to the fondue is optional.
To go with the fondue you will need bread. Preferably it is a French baguette, but in the absence of real French bread, bread rolls will do just fine. The bread should preferably not be too fresh. Once dipped in the cheese, fresh bread may have a soggy, cotton wool feel. Far better to use crispy bread rolls. If the bread is not crispy, cut it into pieces and let chunks dry out in the oven for a few minutes to give them that bit of crunch.
Cheese preparation
Melt the Gruyere, Emmenthaler and the two triangles of La Vache Qui Rit in a pot on the stove top over low heat, while continuously stirring. When the cheese is a smooth mixture add the cornstarch, as well as the kirsch and wine if you are using alcohol.
Transfer the cheese from the cooking pot to a fire-resistant bowl.
Place the fondue pot in the middle of the table with the burner on medium-heat. Place the fire-resistant bowl with the cheese on the burner.
Eating the fondue
Spear a piece of bread on a fork and lightly dip it in the cheese. Proper etiquette requires that you use only your teeth to pull the bread off the fork. Never put the fork in your mouth and never double dip a piece of bread.
As the sauce gets lower and lower, adjust the flame on the burner so the cheese doesn't burn in the bowl.
Fondue Drinks
If you used white wine in the cheese mixture, it is a good idea to serve the same type of wine with the fondue. If no alcohol was used, you can serve coffee or tea.
Dessert
Even though cheese fondue is a delicious meal, your guests might appreciate a little dessert to clean their palate. Even though fruit is limited in winter, apples, oranges or grapefruit are available year round.
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