Recipe for Fondue

Recipe and picture by Betty-Bossi, used with permission.

General note:

You need a special pot called a "caquelon" to prepare a fondue. Once the fondue is ready, the caquelon is set up on the table on a small burner. Keep the fondue on a constant head, but make sure it does not overheat. We use special forks with long handles to dip the bread in the molten cheese, but I'm sure it also works with regular forks.

WARNING: Make sure you use the appropriate equipment when cooking fondue. The author is not reliable for any accidents that may occur when preparing or eating fondue !

Ingredients for 4 persons:

approx. 600 g (1.3 pounds) of white bread
1 piece of garlic
400 g (0.9 pounds) grind Greyerzer cheese
400 g (0.9 pounds) grind Vacherin cheese
3 dl (10 fl. ounces) white wine
5 cl (1.7 fl. ounces) kirsch
2 tea spoons of maizena
grind pepper
a small amount of nutmeg

Preparation:

Cut the bread into small pieces. Some people like the bread a little bit crispy, so you may want to cut it a few hours before you have the fondue.
Split the piece of garlic in two and rub the inside of the caquelon with the them. Put the cheese and the wine in the caquelon and cook them on the cook stove. Constantly stir the mixture. Add kirsch and maizena, but keep stirring. Leave them on the stove for a while, but make sure it does not overheat. The mixture tends to spill out of the pot if it gets too hot ! Add pepper and nutmeg, then put the caquelon on the burner on the table.
Adjust the heat so that the cheese stays at a constant temperature while eating. Put a small piece of bread on the fork, stir it gentle in the cheese and enjoy. Warning: the cheese is hot, don't get burned.
This menu may not be suited for small children.

Note: You may vary the mixture of cheese depending on your taste and availability. You may also use cooked potatos instead of or together with bread.

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