Fondue Is on Point for Winter Weekends
Cheese over chocolate for the win
Cheese and wine are a natural combination in Switzerland, the home of fondue. Using Swiss cheeses — like Gruyère, Emmental (the original “Swiss”), Appenzeller, Fribourg, or Vacherin, for example — is traditional, but any good melting cheese works equally well (cheddar, Comté, or fontina, to name just a few).
Dry and acidic white wines are good for balancing the heaviness of the cheese, but beer, dry cider, and red wine are also nice. If you don’t have a fondue pot, use any enamel or ceramic-lined pot — or start the process in any pot at all, then transfer the finished fondue to an ovenproof ceramic dish that you can set over a tea light. Serve with cubes of crusty bread, cooked meat, and cut-up fruits and vegetables.
Many vegetables can be used raw, but some — potatoes, eggplant, and artichokes, for example — should be cooked first. Other vegetables, like green beans, asparagus, broccoli, and cauliflower, are best when cooked lightly, until barely tender. In any case, be sure the vegetables are completely dry, or the fondue will not stick to them.
Cheese Fondue
Makes: 8 to 10 servings
Takes: 25 minutes
