Classic Swiss Cheese Fondue Recipe | MasalaHerb.com (2024)

FAQs

What is Swiss cheese fondue made of? ›

Though cheese, wine, and garlic are the basic ingredients in Swiss fondue, you'll also find other add-ins such as mountain herbs, paprika, cayenne, nutmeg, mustard, and occasionally tomato coulis. The bread is always sturdy and can be either white or brown, cut into bite-sized chunks for dipping.

Raclette (/rəˈklɛt/, French: [ʁaklɛt]) is a dish of Swiss origin, also popular in the other Alpine countries (France, Germany, Austria), based on heating cheese and scraping off the melted part, then typically served with boiled potatoes.

The best all-around cheeses for fondue are fontina, Gruyère, and gouda. If you aren't sure what to pick, use even amounts of these three. Together are lush and complex. For classic Swiss cheese fondue (meaning one like what you would find in Switzerland), a mix of traditional, firm mountain-style cheeses is best.

Bread is the main accompaniment, although boiled potatoes, charcuterie, and cornichons or other pickles can also be served. Veggies, fruit, and boiled eggs are not traditionally used in Swiss fondue. Take a piece of bread and spear it firmly on your fondue fork so that the crust is on the outside.

In Switzerland, the main ingredients are Gruyère and vacherin from Fribourg, in equal parts (it is called, fittingly, 'moitié – moitié'). In France, it is often made from French cheeses like Comté, Beaufort and Emmental - which is the recipe for the classic Fondue Savoyarde, from the Alpine region of Savoie.

The earliest known recipe for the modern form of cheese fondue comes from a 1699 book published in Zürich, under the name "Käss mit Wein zu kochen" 'to cook cheese with wine'. It calls for grated or cut-up cheese to be melted with wine, and for bread to be dipped in it.

Gruyère. Made of raw milk from cows grazing on the flower-speckled hills of western Switzerland, Gruyère is the consummate melting cheese. It's the star of classics like our French Onion Soup and Cheese Fondue, thanks to its gloriously smooth texture under heat.

First the basics. Cheese fondue is cheese (or several different cheeses) melted in a pot with white wine and eaten with bread. With raclette, the usual custom is to take a block of cheese, grill it and then scrape off the melted, or slightly crispy, part. Raclette offers slightly more freedom to your meal.

“When cheese is heated and thus melts, it releases various volatile compounds which are not present when the cheese is unmelted,” Alibrandi says.

When making cheese fondue, always use a thickener. Cheese should be shredded and tossed with flour or cornstarch to aid in thickening and to improve the viscosity of the fondue. A good rule of thumb is to use one tablespoon of flour or cornstarch per pound of cheese.

What kind of bread is good for fondue? ›

A mild-flavored sourdough or baguette will work well. You can also use a loaf of dense rye bread, but you may want to cube it instead of tearing it into chunks. Baguettes are the traditional choice for dipping in fondue because they have a mild flavor and crisp crust that's perfect for dipping in creamy, melted cheese.

To cut a steak for fondue, cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. The best cuts of beef for fondue include top sirloin, ribeye, and tenderloin. Cut or slice the meat according to personal preference. Some prefer to slice steaks into long strips, while others cube the meat into small pieces.

That's exactly why polite fondue etiquette demands that you should only use your front teeth to take the bread from your fork. That fork is going to go back into the pot for more. So, the Swiss, and probably everyone else, don't want your lips all over their cheese. Keep that tongue and those lips in check.

The recommended non-alcoholic beverage is hot tea. Many Swiss believe, and indeed insist, that it is crucial to avoid drinking cold beverages with fondue, as they are thought to cause the cheese to coagulate in the stomach and potentially cause very uncomfortable digestive distress.

Fondue rules

You must not double dip, and never put your fork directly into your mouth. You can grab it off with just your teeth, but the best way is to slide it onto your plate and use a regular fork to eat it.

Fondue rules

You must not double dip, and never put your fork directly into your mouth. You can grab it off with just your teeth, but the best way is to slide it onto your plate and use a regular fork to eat it.

How is swiss cheese made? Swiss cheese begins like most cheeses: a helpful combination of enzymes called rennet is added to fresh Wisconsin milk, which creates solid curds and liquid whey. From there, the curds are soaked in a brine and heated.

Provolone and Swiss cheese are great options for melting on sandwiches, deli meat, pizza and baked dishes but of course they have different flavors and textures.

Although there are several variations, the word fondue primarily refers to a dish consisting of melted cheeses combined with wine, cognac or brandy.