Fondue Basics: How to Make a Smooth, Crowd-Pleasing Cheese Fondue

Fondue has a reputation as a retro dinner party gimmick, but a pot of properly made cheese fondue is one of the most satisfying things you can put on a table. It is interactive, it is warm, and it turns dinner into a slow, chatty event. The best part is that classic Swiss-style fondue only needs a handful of ingredients. The skill is all in the technique.

The classic ingredients

A traditional cheese fondue is built on a few essentials:

• Alpine cheeses: Gruyere is the classic backbone, nutty and rich. Emmentaler adds a mellow, slightly sweet flavor and a nice stretch. A popular blend is equal parts of each. Appenzeller, Comte, fontina, and raclette cheese also work well.
• Dry white wine: choose a crisp, unoaked white such as Sauvignon Blanc or a Swiss white if you can find one. The acidity is not just for flavor; it helps keep the cheese smooth.
• Cornstarch: a small amount tossed with the shredded cheese stabilizes the fondue and keeps it from separating.
• Garlic: a halved clove rubbed around the inside of the pot adds gentle flavor.
• Kirsch (optional): a clear cherry brandy traditionally stirred in near the end for aroma.
• Seasoning: a pinch of nutmeg and some freshly ground black pepper.

How much to make

As a main course, plan on roughly a half pound of cheese per person. As an appetizer or part of a larger spread, a quarter pound per person is usually enough. For four people as a main, that means about 2 pounds of cheese and about 1 1/2 cups of wine.

Why fondue stays smooth, or does not

Fondue is a cheese emulsion, and like any cheese sauce it can break. Three things protect it:

1. Acid: the tartaric acid in wine helps prevent the milk proteins in cheese from clumping together into strings.
2. Starch: cornstarch coats the cheese and gets between proteins, keeping fat and liquid combined.
3. Gentle heat: fondue should never boil. High heat tightens proteins and pushes the fat out.

Step-by-step method

1. Prepare the cheese. Shred the cheese on the large holes of a box grater. Toss it in a bowl with cornstarch, about 1 tablespoon per pound of cheese, until every shred is lightly coated.
2. Flavor the pot. Rub the inside of a heavy saucepan or fondue pot with the cut side of a garlic clove. Leave the clove in if you like a stronger flavor.
3. Warm the wine. Add the wine and heat over medium-low until it is steaming and just barely beginning to bubble at the edges.
4. Add cheese gradually. Add one handful of cheese at a time, stirring gently in a figure-eight or zigzag pattern. Wait until each handful is mostly melted before adding the next. Rushing this step is the most common cause of clumpy fondue.
5. Finish and season. Once all the cheese is melted and smooth, stir in the kirsch if using, plus nutmeg and pepper to taste.
6. Keep it warm. Transfer to a fondue pot over a low flame or set on low. Stir occasionally, and encourage guests to stir with each dip.

What to dip

Crusty bread is the classic, but variety makes fondue more fun.

• Bread: cubes of day-old baguette or country bread, each with a bit of crust so it stays on the fork.
• Vegetables: boiled baby potatoes, blanched broccoli and cauliflower, roasted mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes.
• Fruit: tart apple and firm pear slices cut through the richness beautifully.
• Meats: cubes of ham, cooked sausage, or cured meats.
• Pickles: cornichons and pickled onions on the side are traditional and keep palates fresh.

Troubleshooting

The fondue is stringy or lumpy

The heat is probably too high, or the cheese went in too fast. Lower the heat, add a squeeze of lemon juice, and keep stirring. If it is still lumpy, mix a teaspoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of wine and stir it in.

The fondue has separated and looks oily

Take it off the heat. Whisk in a splash of warm wine mixed with a little cornstarch, then return it to very low heat while whisking steadily until it comes back together.

It is too thick

Stir in warm wine a tablespoon at a time. Fondue thickens as it sits and as guests eat, so you may need to do this a few times over the evening.

It is too thin

Add a little more shredded cheese tossed with cornstarch, one small handful at a time.

Making it without wine

You can make a delicious alcohol-free fondue. Replace the wine with low-sodium broth or unsweetened apple cider, and add about a tablespoon of lemon juice per cup of liquid to supply the acidity that keeps the cheese smooth. Skip the kirsch.

Do not skip the crust

As the evening goes on, a golden, toasty layer of cheese forms on the bottom of the pot. In Switzerland it is called la religieuse, and many consider it the best bite of the night. Scrape it up, share it around, and enjoy the ending you earned.

A few serving tips

• Set out dinner plates so guests can move food off their fondue forks before eating. Fondue forks get very hot.
• Keep the flame low and steady. A fondue that is too hot will scorch and break.
• Light, crisp drinks pair best. Many people serve the same white wine used in the pot, or hot tea.

With good cheese, gentle heat, and a patient stir, fondue is nearly foolproof. Gather your people, pass the forks, and let dinner take its time.