Swiss Cheese Fondue
This Swiss cheese fondue is a popular comfort food served in wintertime in Switzerland. From what we’ve learned in our geography studies, the Swiss people find it odd to eat this in summer, although that’s exactly when we gave it a try! It is absolutely delicious! I do agree though, that it would make a wonderful meal in the winter. We may be serving this as out Christmas meal from now on! It was that good!
As we study the cuisines and cultures of other countries, we like to stick as closely to their recipes as possible. Because of this, this recipe for cheese fondue follows what is traditionally used in Switzerland. Our family has tried an American cheese fondue recipe, and it just didn’t compare! The Swiss know what they’re doing when it comes to this dish! This recipe is full of delicious flavor! The Swiss serve up a white wine for drinking alongside this, but we learned that nearby countries typically serve only hot black tea to help aid in digestion!
Obviously, we are serving this to our children, so we didn’t serve them wine! But we wanted to mimic the culture as closely as we could, so we bought some sparkling grape juice to serve alongside our meal. This made the experience memorable and fun for them. This cheese fondue is also made with wine, so we simmered it a bit longer to cook out most of the alcohol before serving.
What you need for Swiss cheese fondue:
- Gruyere cheese
- Swiss Emmental cheese
- Camembert cheese or Brie
- Dry white wine
- Cornstarch
- Kirsch
- Garlic clove
- Nutmeg
- Mustard
- Salt
- Pepper
- A Fondue Pot (this is the one we have)
HOw to make cheese fondue:
First, you’ll want to grate your Gruyere and Swiss cheeses.
Cut the rind from the Camembert or Brie cheese and cut the soft cheese into cubes.
Slice a clove of garlic and rub all along the inside of your cooking pot. Discard the rest of the garlic.
Now, heat the wine in a large pot over medium heat until it starts to simmer. I recommend using a large pot that you can whisk the cheese vigorously into the wine without splashing onto stove.
Then, slowly add in your cheeses, whisking it into the wine and allowing to melt.
Meanwhile, mix together the cornstarch and Kirsch or beverage of choice.
Once the cheese has fully melted into the wine, slowly mix in some of the cornstarch mixture. You may not need all of it. Add enough until you have a thick consistency, but not too thick to coat a piece of bread. If it gets too thick just add a bit more wine to thin it out.
Now, season the fondue with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and mustard.
Lastly, transfer to a Fondue pot with stand over a medium flame to serve. Serve with crusty bread cut into cubes.
To keep the cheese fondue a nice consistency, just give it a swirl every time you dip your bread!
Please let me know if you try this recipe in the comments below!
Swiss Cheese Fondue
Equipment
- 1 Fondue pot
- 1 Saucepan
Ingredients
FOR THE CHEESE FONDUE:
- 14 oz Gruyere cheese or white cheddar, although I would strongly discourage substituting anything if you can help it as the Gruyere has way more flavor!
- 14 oz Swiss Emmental cheese or any Swiss you can find
- 14 oz Camembert cheese or Brie
- 2 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 6 tsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp Kirsch (a cherry brandy) you can substitute with whiskey or just omit altogether for less alcohol. I just used more white wine to mix with the cornstarch.
- 1 garlic clove
- pinch of nutmeg optional
- pinch of ground mustard optional
- salt and pepper to taste
FOR SERVING:
- 1-2 loaves of crusty French bread cut into cubes
- boiled or roasted small potatoes
- dill pickles
Instructions
- Grate your Gruyere and Swiss cheeses.
- Cut the rind off of the Camembert or Brie and cut the soft cheese into cubes.
- Slice a clove of garlic and rub all along the inside of your cooking pot. Discard the rest of the garlic.
- Heat the wine in a large pot on medium heat until it starts to simmer. I recommend a large pot that you can whisk the cheese vigorously into the wine without splashing onto stove.
- Slowly add in your cheeses, whisking it into the wine and allowing it to melt.
- Meanwhile, mix together the 6 tsp cornstarch and 3 tbsp kirsch or beverage of choice.
- Once the cheese has fully melted into the wine, slowly whisk in some of the cornstarch mixture. You may not need all of it. Add enough until you have a thick consistency, but not too thick to coat a piece of bread. If it gets too thick, just add a bit more wine to thin it out.
- Season the fondue with salt, pepper, nutmeg and mustard.
- Transfer to a Fondue pot with stand over a medium flame to serve.
- Serve with crusty bread sliced into cubes for dipping!
- To keep the cheese fondue a liquid, just give it a swirl with your fork as you dip in your bread and also to coat it nicely!
Notes
