Cheese fondue

• 220g Gruyère cheese
• 220g Comté cheese
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp. dry sherry or kirsch
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
• 250g dry white wine
• 10g lemon juice
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• a grating of nutmeg or a pinch of ground cloves

• To serve:
• 2 small apples, peeled, cored and diced in 2cm chunks
• 2 small firm pears, peeled, cored and diced in 2cm chunks
• a couple of handfuls of smallest broccoli florets, blanched in boiling water for a few seconds
• miniature baby potatoes boiled until tender, drained (and cut in halves or quarters if larger than bite-size)
• some stale-ish bread (sourdough or similar), cut into bite-sized cubes

METHOD

1. Grate the cheeses and toss them with the cornflour in a bowl. Bring the sherry or kirsch to a simmer (you can heat it up in a microwave), add the garlic and thyme and leave to infuse for at least 10 minutes.

2. Bring the wine and lemon juice to the boil, add the cheese gradually, whisking or stirring with a wooden spoon all the time, until smooth and creamy.

3. Add the mustard powder and the nutmeg or cloves, strain in the infused liquor and cook for a minute longer, stirring constantly, until the fondue thickens.

4. Transfer to a fondue pot (or a heat-proof dish placed over an oriental-style pot warmer, if you don’t have a fondue set) and serve with the crudités, potatoes and bread.

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See also

Camembert en croute

Macaroni cheese