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Savoyard cheese fondue

Fondue is the ultimate sharing meal: get your friends over and serve this Savoyard cheese fondue with charcuterie, cornichons and crusty bread.

Or, for chocoholics, behold this incredible recipe for dark chocolate salted caramel fondue.

Fondue is the ultimate sharing meal: get your friends over and serve this Savoyard cheese fondue with charcuterie, cornichons and crusty bread.

Or, for chocoholics, behold this incredible recipe for dark chocolate salted caramel fondue.

For 8 servings

Ingredients

1 fat garlic clove, halved
2 tsp cornflour
350ml Savoie white wine, such as crépy or apremont, plus 50ml extra (see Know-how)
700g mixture beaufort, abondance and comté cheese, grated
1-2 tsp kirsch (optional)
1 large stale country loaf, cut into chunks, for dunking
Cornichons and charcuterie, to serve

You’ll also need

Methylated spirit
Cast iron or stainless steel fondue set (see tips) or 2 litre fondue pan or heavy-based casserole
Spirit burner and trivet (see tips)
6-8 fondue forks (from cook shops)

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Put the fondue pan/casserole on the hob over a medium heat. Rub the cut sides of the halved garlic clove all over the inside. Be generous.
In a small bowl or jug, mix the cornflour with just enough wine to form a loose paste. Pour the paste into the pan along with the rest of the wine, stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir in the grated cheese, then cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth – the cheese should steam but not boil.
The fondue is done when it’s liquid but thick; the best way to check is to stir with a wooden spoon with a hole in the middle (known as a risotto spoon) – if the cheese covers the hole when the spoon is lifted, the fondue is ready. If the mixture thickens too much, add the extra 50ml wine to bring it back to the correct consistency. Add the kirsch if you like the extra kick (we do!).

Transfer the fondue pan/casserole from the hob to the trivet, set over the lit spirit burner – keep it at a medium-low heat. Stir every so often with a clean wooden spoon so the cheese doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan. Serve with the bread for dunking using the fondue forks, and with cornichons and charcuterie alongside for a true Alpine feast.

For 8 servings

Nutrition: per serving

You can pick up a cheap second-hand fondue pot or set in charity shops or on eBay, or buy a new one from Argos or John Lewis. If you don’t have a fondue set or the pot that comes with it is too small for all the cheese, use a small flameproof casserole instead.

When the fondue is ready, sit the dish on the trivet and spirit burner that come with the set, or buy them separately from a camping shop or from millets.co.uk.

While eating the fondue, keep stirring and adjusting the heat of the spirit burner. The cheese should drape itself evenly over the bread without becoming stringy – if it gets too stringy, turn up the heat on the spirit burner and keep stirring. If the fondue is too runny to cover the bread properly, it’s too hot – turn the heat down and leave it for a few seconds.
Savoie wines are dry, minerally and tend to be lower in alcohol than those from warmer climates. If you can’t find one, use a dry Austrian grüner veltliner or dry Portuguese vinho verde instead.