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Classic Cheese Fondue

Ingredients

  • 1 large clove garlic, smashed and peeled

  • 1 1/2 cups dry white wine

  • 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded

  • 8 ounces Emmenthaler cheese, shredded

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

  • 1/2 cup Kirschwasser cherry brandy

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

  • White pepper or cayenne, a pinch to taste

Serve with any or all of the following:

  • Fresh sausages such as lamb, beef, chicken and pork, broiled or sautéed and cut into bite-size pieces

  • Small Red Bliss potatoes, boiled

  • French bread, cut into chunks

  • Blanched green beans

  • Drained pickled vegetables such as cauliflower

  • Whole small radishes

Directions

Rub the inside of a small pot with the smashed garlic clove, then discard. 

Add wine to the pot and bring up to a bubble over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the cheese in handfuls. Stir constantly, melting the cheese in batches. Stir in a figure-eight pattern with a wooden spoon. 

When the cheese has been incorporated fully, stir the cornstarch into brandy using your finger until smooth, add brandy mixture into the cheese slowly. Add the lemon juice and season the fondue with nutmeg and white or cayenne pepper, to taste. 

Transfer the fondue to a fondue pot and serve. * If your fondue pot is made of cast iron, you can heat the wine on the stove and then add the cheese, all in one pot. If your fondue pot cannot be placed on the stove, follow the above recipe.