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LIFESTYLE The Champion, Thursday, August 4 - 10, 2016
RECIPE
Find out why classic Swiss fondue never went out of style
by Katie Workman
(AP) Food as fashion has
never made a lot of sense to
me. Kale is out (no, not re
ally), jackfruit is in, and so on.
But guess what? In Swit
zerland, the birthplace of
fondue, this creamy cheese
dish never went out of style,
and once you make up a pot
for your crew, you will real
ize why the Swiss never ever
considered letting it go the
way of the Jell-0 mold.
Emmenthal cheese (or, in
Switzerland, Emmental) and
Gruyere are the two most
classic cheeses used in au
thentic Swiss fondue. Other
traditional choices are Comte,
Rachlette and Swiss Vach-
erin, which melts beautifully.
If you want to add differ
ent cheeses, do; you need
cheeses with flavor, and
cheeses with a smooth,
creamy melting texture—clas
sically, cow’s milk cheeses
made in the Alpine style.
Fontina and Jarlsberg are
good thoughts too, and very
accessible. Talk to your chee
semonger to see what else is
an option.
Rubbing the pot with a gar
lic clove in this version adds
a subtle touch of garlic; some
recipes call for actual minced
garlic to be added to the pot.
As for the kirsch, if you dis
cuss “real” fondue with some
one from Switzerland you will
get a firm opinion on whether
it should be included. Only a
small amount of this cherry
liqueur is used, so it doesn’t
seem to be a deal breaker, at
least to this fondue neophyte.
Some people like to keep the
kirsch out of the fondue, but
dip the bread lightly into a
small dish of it before dipping
the bread into the cheese.
Other seasonings that
might be added are dry mus
tard or nutmeg, but tradition
alists would probably stab me
with a fondue fork for sug
gesting such things.
The classic item to dip
into cheese fondue is bread
cubes, but there is no reason
to stop there. Crackers, veg
etables, even meats or fruit—
anything that goes well with
cheese is fair game.
Additional tips: Don’t over
heat the cheese, and add it
slowly. Melting cheese gradu
ally over low temperature
helps keep it smooth, not
clumpy or stringy. If your fon
due gets clumpy, add either
a bit more wine or a couple
of teaspoons of fresh lemon
juice.
If you don’t have a fondue
pot, you can still make fon
due and just serve it in the
pot you cooked it in. Reheat
it, stirring, as needed. Or just
eat fast!
Classic Swiss Fondue
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Servings: 8-10
Garlic clove
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 pound grated Gruyere
1/2 pound grated Emmenthal (or
Emmental) cheese
Freshly ground black pepper to
taste
2 teaspoons kirsch (optional)
To serve:
Cubes of firm, day-old bread
Lightly steamed asparagus, broccoli
and cauliflower florets, or carrots
Cherry tomatoes
Strips of bell pepper
Apple or pear slices
Rub the inside of a heavy pot,
such as an enameled cast-iron pot,
with the garlic clove. Add the white
wine, and heat over medium heat
until hot. Toss the grated cheese in
a bowl with the cornstarch. Add that
mixture to the pot very gradually,
stirring all the while, until the
cheese is melted and the mixture is
smooth. Season with pepper.
Meanwhile, arrange the bread
and other dipping items attractively
on a serving platter.
If you have a fondue pot, light
the flame under it, and transfer
the fondue to the fondue pot. Let
everyone spear the food of their
choice with fondue forks or other
small forks, and dip away.
Nutrition information per serving:
213 calories; 108 calories from fat;
12 g fat (8 g saturated; 0 g trans
fats); 40 mg cholesterol; 63 mg
sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber;
1 g sugar; 12 g protein.