Fondue Savoyarde

Fondue Savoyarde

A classic Savoyard sharing pot of melted alpine cheeses loosened with dry white wine, garlic and a touch of cornflour, kept bubbling gently at the table. Traditionally made with a mix of Beaufort, Comté and Emmental (or Gruyère), and eaten with cubes of country bread on long forks.

Prep

20 min

Cook

20 min

Total

40 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) Beaufort cheese, rind removed, cut into small cubes; or use a good Comté
• •400 g (14 oz) Emmental or Gruyère, rind removed, cut into small cubes
• •300 ml (1¼ cups) dry white wine, a Savoyard wine such as Apremont or Abymes, or any dry, unoaked white
• •2 cloves garlic, halved
• •1½ tbsp cornflour, cornstarch
• •2 tbsp kirsch, optional, traditional in Savoie; omit if unavailable
• •1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
• •1 pinch white pepper, to taste
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) country bread, a day-old crusty loaf, cut into 3 cm (1¼ inch) cubes, crust on

Steps

1. 1 Rub the cut sides of the garlic all over the inside of a heavy fondue pot (caquelon) or a heavy-based saucepan, then discard the garlic or leave one half in the pot for milder flavour.
2. 2 Pour in the white wine and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
3. 3 Toss the cubed cheeses with the cornflour in a bowl - this helps stabilise the fondue and prevents splitting.
4. 4 Add the cheese to the wine a handful at a time, stirring constantly in a figure-of-eight motion with a wooden spoon. Keep the heat medium-low; the mixture should never boil hard once the cheese is in.
5. 5 Stir until completely smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. If it is too thick, add a splash more wine; if too thin, keep stirring over low heat.
6. 6 Stir in the kirsch (if using), nutmeg and white pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning - the cheeses are salty, so you may not need salt.
7. 7 Transfer to the fondue pot and set over a small burner or tea light so it stays at a gentle simmer at the table. If it starts to bubble too vigorously, lower the heat.
8. 8 Spear a cube of bread on a long fondue fork and dip, swirling, into the cheese. Eat immediately - the bread should be coated, not dropped into the pot.
9. 9 If anyone drops their bread into the pot, the traditional forfeit is a kiss, or they must finish the fondue.
10. 10 Serve with the remaining bread cubes and, if liked, a simple green salad dressed with a sharp vinaigrette to cut the richness.