Traditional Swiss cheese fondue: the moitié-moitié with Gruyère and Vacherin, white wine and kirsch

Fondue was winter food for the peasants of the Alps: stale bread and hard cheese, the only two foods left at the end of winter, softened together in a pot with wine. In the 20th century, the Swiss Cheese Union turned the home dish into a national symbol with a memorable campaign, and since then fondue has been Switzerland in a caquelon.

Each canton has its blend. The moitié-moitié, half and half, from Fribourg is the most appreciated: Gruyère, which gives the strong flavor, and Vacherin Fribourgeois, which gives the creaminess and melts at a lower temperature. Cornstarch and a little acid, from the wine and lemon, keep the cheese from separating from the fat.

The etiquette is sacred: you stir in a figure eight, whoever drops their bread in the pot pays a forfeit, and the crust that forms at the bottom, the religieuse, is fought over with forks at the end. You drink white wine or black tea; iced water is forbidden by tradition.

Recipe card

• Origin: Fribourg, Switzerland
• Category: Main course, melted cheese
• Difficulty: Easy
• Preparation time: 15 minutes
• Cooking time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 400 g Gruyère, coarsely grated
• 400 g Vacherin Fribourgeois, coarsely grated (or Emmental, or Raclette)
• 1 garlic clove, halved
• 300 ml dry white wine (Chasselas, Sauvignon Blanc or another light one)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons kirsch (cherry brandy)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper and nutmeg to taste
• 600 g rustic thick-crusted bread, cut into cubes with the crust, preferably a day old
• Small boiled potatoes, gherkins and pickled onions to serve

Method

1. Rub the inside of the caquelon (ceramic or enameled iron pot) with the cut garlic and leave the halves inside.
2. Dissolve the cornstarch in the kirsch and set aside.
3. Put the wine and lemon juice in the pot and heat over medium heat until almost boiling.
4. Lower the heat and add the cheese little by little, a handful at a time, stirring constantly in a figure eight with a wooden spoon until it melts before adding the next.
5. When all the cheese is melted and smooth, add the kirsch with the cornstarch and stir for 2 minutes, until the fondue thickens and turns glossy.
6. Season with pepper and nutmeg.
7. Bring the caquelon to the table over the burner with a low flame, just enough to keep it gently bubbling.
8. Spear the bread cubes through the crust, dip, swirl in a figure eight and eat. Stir now and then so it does not stick to the bottom.

Tips and variations

• If the fondue separates, add a teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in a little wine and stir hard over low heat until it comes back.
• If it gets too thick, add a little hot wine; too thin, a handful of cheese.
• Freshly grated cheese melts better than pre-grated, which contains anti-caking agents.
• Without kirsch, use a little more wine; the fondue loses the perfume, not the texture.
• The Geneva version adds a little Raclette cheese and mushrooms; the Vaud version is Gruyère only.
• The crust at the bottom comes off with a spatula and is the best part for many Swiss.
• Always cook the fondue over low heat after the cheese goes in; a hard boil curdles it.

Fondue is a dish for a slow table, conversation and a long fork. Make it on a cold night, with good bread, good wine and no hurry at all.