Fondue

Be careful: this recipe requires specific tools, some can be improvised, some are better original. Look up the web for kits and/or substitutes.

Ingredients for 4 hungry people  

• 400g Vacherin Friburgeois (see tip below)
• 400g Gruyère
• 250g + 50g white wine
• 20g Kirsch (Cherry liquor)
• 20g corn starch
• 5g sodium bicarbonate
• 5g garlic
• pepper
• Caquelon (Special glazed cast iron pot)
• Fondue forks (With a long handle)
• Fondue burner
• Bread, potatoes and pickled vegetables

Procedure

1. Boil the potates, dice the bread (circa 4cm³) and pickled vegetables (see tip below)
2. Grate the cheese in little strips;
3. Mix 50g of white wine with the corn starch;
4. Peel and cut the garlic in two parts, then spread it on the walls of the pot, leaving the garlic in the pot;
5. Add the grated cheese, 250g of wine and turn on the heat on low;
6. Turn the cheese, so it doesn't stick to the bottom;
7. When it starts to be liquid stir it in an 8-pattern, keeping speed (0.3 Hz) and movement regular (see warning below);
8. As it begins to boil add the wine mixture to the cheese, paying attention to spread it sort of evenly;
9. Shout to your guests to turn on the burner, then make sure someone is actually doing it;
10. When it boils again add the Kirsch, then shortly after the sodium bicarbonate, also evenly spread;
11. Bring it to the table, on top of the burner, that should be on by now.

Be careful: when stirring the fondue keep a steady pace, following a regular 8-pattern, with approximately one iteration every 3 seconds. This is important, as the cheese will not melt regularly if not done properly. And keep on going until the end, no complaining.

Tip: the ingredients list the proper cheeses to make a fondue moitié-moitié, french for half-half, as it is made with half of Vacherin Friburgeois and half Gruyère, cheeses from the French-speaking Fribourg canton in Switzerland. Since abroad they can be really expensive, consider substituting them with 6-16 months aged mountian cheeses, preferably with a decise taste, but not too intense or spicy.

Tip: Fondue should be eaten with diced bread and potatoes, circa 500g and 600g for 4 people. On top of this pickled vegetables can be dipped as well, e.g. pickles, tiny corn cobs, onions, ...