I have loved fondue ever since I first heard about it. I mean, who doesn't love the idea of melted cheese that you dip things into? Yum! I will admit that when I first tried it in Switzerland I wasn't as impressed as I had hoped I would be, but I still liked it. I'm sure I have had it a few times since then but none have stuck out so much as going to The Melting Pot with my friend Jasmine and her boyfriend. The Melting Pot is a chain restaurant specializing in fondue. It comes with a four course meal; cheese fondue, salad, meat fondue (basically hot oil that you put raw meat into to cook) and a dessert fondue of chocolate. Delicious! The cheese fondue was superb and it inspired me to create fondue at home.
I didn't have a fondue pot for the longest time, so this was a recipe aspiration that got put on the shelf. Then, I watched Alton Brown's Good eats and saw his recipe on fondue. He introduced the idea to me that one didn't have to have a fondue pot to make fondue. It also occurred to me around the same time that I could use a slow cooker as a kind of fondue pot. Well, it turns out all of this was unnecessary as Robbin and Steve gave me their fondue pot that they hadn't used. There were some complications with this, as it didn't come with fuel and then I found out the pot had been recalled anyways because of the fuel, but I eventually figured it out. So, now I had the fondue pot and a recipe I wanted to try ("fondue vudu" from the Good eats show) so I was ready to go.
Original recipe to be found here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/good-eats/fondue-vudu-recipe/index.html
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic, halved
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle hard apple cider
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon brandy
- Pinch kosher salt
- 5 ounces (2 cups) Gruyere, grated
- 5 ounces (2 cups) Smoked Gouda, rind removed, grated
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
- Several grinds fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Rub inside of fondue pot or heavy small saucepan with garlic. Pour cider into pot. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, the brandy and salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, grate the cheese and toss well with the cornstarch in a large bowl. When the cider just begins to simmer, gradually add the cheese a handful at a time, allowing each addition to melt completely before adding the next. Continue adding cheese and stirring until all cheese is incorporated, about 3 minutes. If mixture starts to bubble, reduce heat to low. The mixture is ready when creamy and easily coats the back of a spoon. Stir in curry powder and pepper. If cheese seems stringy, add some or all of the remaining lemon juice. Move fondue pot to alcohol warmer, and keep stirring during service. A variety of breads, from pumpernickel to rye to bagel chunks can be skewered and dipped as can cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms and potatoes. (Soften all vegetables by blanching briefly in boiling water then chilling.) Crisp fruits such as apples make great fondue fodder, as do cooked meats and sausages. Even soft pretzels make for good dipping. If any fondue is left over, cover with ice water and refrigerate, pour off water and reheat over low heat.
Well, long story short, I made it but I could never get the darn cheese to melt! I seriously sat over that pot for an hour, but the cheese never melted! I'm not even going to include a picture as it is nothing really pretty to look at. So, I eventually decided to eat it and although the taste was good, the consistency left something to be desired. I read reviews of the recipes and found out that others had had this problem (they blamed the smoked gouda), so I didn't feel too bad. I could always try again.
Yesterday was my attempt to try again. Scott and I went to the fungus fair in Santa Cruz and attended a mushroom cooking and wine demonstration. The chef made an absolutely delicious truffle fondue. I didn't have truffles at home, but I still had the Emmenthal and Gruyere cheese I bought for the recipe, so I decided to try again (and yes, I realize the above recipe doesn't have Emmenthal but I bought it just in case). I used my Not your mother's fondue cookbook that my friend Lyz got me for my bridal shower (along with a lovely chocolate fondue set that I haven't used yet). I made the traditional fondue recipe. I had everything except cherry liqueur, but I didn't think that would made that much difference.
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