A combination of meltable Swiss cheeses like Gruyère, Emmental, Vacherin, Appenzeller is traditional in fondue.Julie Van Rosendaal/The Globe and Mail
Any food that requires some level of human interaction at the table is the best kind for socializing.
Fondue has been eponymous with winter gatherings since the 18th century, was declared a Swiss national dish by the Schweizerische Kaseunion (Swiss Cheese Union) in the 1930s and became trendy in North America in the sixties. Growing up in Calgary, fondue pots were relatively common in kitchens and basements and on garage-sale tables. At our house, the long metal forks were used far more frequently – in the kitchen, or for extracting things from hard-to-reach places around the house – than the whole set, which was maybe trotted out once a year, for special occasions.
Fondue is associated with skiing and other winter sports popular in the Alps – and what better après-ski (or skate, walk, snowboard) snack than a bubbling pot of cheese? It’s an excellent way to use up cheese ends, which you might find yourself with an assortment of après-party, and ideal when you have people coming over who ask what they can bring; be in charge of the cheese (or chocolate) and have everyone bring something to dip. (It also makes great use of bubbles that have been opened and gone flat.)
Chocolate fondue is a wonderful thing, and it’s fun to do a fondue double header après-cheese, but cheese is arguably the queen of fondues, being a pot of melty cheese and all. A combination of meltable Swiss cheeses (Gruyère, Emmental, Vacherin, Appenzeller) is traditional in fondue (it also works well with meltable shredded plant-based cheese), along with white wine and sometimes a splash of Kirsch, brandy or cognac. Using beer (alcoholic or non) gives it a different flavour profile, and is delicious with extra-old cheddar, Gouda, or fontina. Feel free to toss them all into the pot. (To make chocolate fondue, warm up a cup of cream or coconut milk, stir in about 12 oz. chopped dark chocolate, let it sit for a minute, then whisk until smooth.)
If you don’t happen to own a fondue pot, and are unable (or uninclined) to snag one at the thrift store, there are ways of keeping your cheese warm at the table, such as a cast iron skillet or ovenproof baking dish you can set over tea lights – set them in a muffin tin or baking dish you can place your cheese vessel on top of without smothering the candles. You don’t need enough heat to cook with, just a bit to keep it warm. Use bamboo skewers for dipping.
Cheesy Fondue
This basic formula can be scaled up or down to make a larger or smaller batch; just keep the ratio roughly the same. If there are leftovers, the congealed cheese can go into an omelet, pasta or mashed potatoes, or spread over toast and run under the broiler (or popped into the air fryer) until golden and bubbly, Welsh rarebit-style.
- 1 garlic clove, halved
- 4 cups grated cheeses, such as Gruyère, Emmental, Vacherin, fontina, aged cheddar or Gouda, or meltable shredded plant-based cheese
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups dry white wine or not-too-hoppy beer
- Cubed bread, apple slices, cornichons and boiled or blanched veggies, for dipping
Rub the inside of a small cast iron skillet with the garlic clove. Toss the grated cheese with the cornstarch.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan (or the skillet you want to serve it from), bring the wine just to a simmer. Start whisking in the cheese in small amounts, adding more as it melts. Stir until the mixture is smooth, then transfer to a fondue pot or heavy (to hold onto the heat) serving dish, and keep warm over a flame. Serve with cubed bread, veggies and anything else you want to dip into cheese.
Serves about six.