Traditional Swiss Fondue
Flashback to early 2024, when Cynthia, my ever-enthusiastic friend, declared, “You should make fondue. And let’s do it on Halloween!” Fondue? On Halloween? Ok… I nodded slowly, as if possessed by a cheese-loving spirit. I did own a fondue pot—somewhere in the cryptic depths of my apartment—but its exact location? That was another mystery.
Servings
6
Ready In:
45 Mins
Good For:
Lunch, Dinner, Supper
Inroduction
About this Recipe
Let’s rewind to the early 2000s. Fondue had clawed its way back from the 70s, and I was all in. Cheese fondue, chocolate fondue—if it could be melted and dipped, I served it. My friends would line up, armed with skewers and starry eyes, eager to dunk everything edible in sight.
Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove, halved
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 cups of Gruyère cheese, grated
- 3 cups of Emmentaler cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons dry Vermouth
- Pinch of Paprika
- Pinch of Nutmeg
So with Halloween approaching, I donned my detective hat and set out to unearth my legendary, vintage (yes, we’re at that stage), Bodum Fondue Pot with the Lazy Susan. It was a gift from my former roommate Lauren, who probably had no idea it’d someday join the ranks of “kitchen antiques.” After some serious foraging, I found the fondue pot—minus a ramekin and several forks. Not a problem! I dug up some “extra” fondue forks that somehow materialized over the years. Where did they come from? The ghost of fondue forks past, perhaps.
Finally, Halloween night arrived. I prepped a classic Swiss fondue—always a showstopper—guided by my trusty fondue cookbook, a relic itself. I laid out a mountain of bread, ham, apples, tomatoes, and a giant green salad to add a “healthy” touch. And because it was Halloween, Hocus Pocus played in the background as we dipped, dunked, and devoured.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Rub the inside of a cheese fondue with the garlic clove; discard the garlic. Add the white wine and lemon juice and gently heat up.
Step 2
Slowly add the grated cheese and keep stirring until melted. Do not overboil. Combine the cornstarch and Vermouth, and stir into the cheese mixture. Cook over moderate heat for about a minute or until mixture is hot.
Step 3
Reduce heat to low. Add the vermouth. paprika and nutmeg and cook, stirring gently, until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes; don’t overcook the fondue or it will get stringy. Serve at once.
By the end of the evening, I was practically a cheese zombie. I had to lie flat on the floor just to survive the night. Worth it? Absolutely.
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