For my birthday, my dad gave me a caquelon (really, the one glaring omission from our cookware collection…especially notable when you consider how much we love Swiss food and culture). Of course, when dinner was ready, I let my wife know by ringing our Swiss Cowbell…just seemed right.
We used some of our homemade Sourdough bread, Roasted Beets, and steamed broccoli as our dipping ingredients. You can also make this conglomeration of gooey cheesy goodness Social Distancing Style if you wish!
Time: 15 Minutes (Plus any dipping ingredients prep time)
Ingredients (for two servings)
- 1/2 Cup Off-Dry White Wine
- 2/3 Cup of Honey Goat Gouda (or you can go with 1/3 cup of Honey Goat Gouda and 1/3 Cup of Emmentaler or Gruyere to build some complementary flavours).
- 1 Tablespoon of Corn Starch
- 1.5 Tablespoons of Kirschwasser (Cherry Brandy)
- 1 Garlic Clove
- Optional: Honey
- Dipping Ingredients of your choice
Method:
- Prep your dipping ingredients. Cook those that take longer than 15 minutes to cook (in our case, the beets) ahead of time. For ingredients like steamed broccoli, just cut them and begin steaming about 5 minutes or so before your fondue finishes.
- Shred your cheese (or slice into small rectangles if your grater/Food processor is in the dishwasher already, as was the case with us). The name of the game is surface area here…you want to maximize it!
- Peel a garlic clove, and cut it in half. Rub it all around the inside of your caquelon (fondue pot) to coat.
- Remove the garlic, and heat your pot. When it’s hot, add in your wine, and bring it to a simmer. (This is a good time to start steaming your broccoli)
- When your wine simmers, add your cheese, and stir/whisk until it’s completely melted.
- Mix your Kirschwasser with your corn starch in a small bowl, and stir to combine into a pasty liquid. Then, as soon as your two ingredients are mixed, pour into your caquelon, and stir vigorously to combine so that your fondue thickens evenly. Do not be tempted to do this ahead of time, as it hardens pretty quickly.
- Plate your dipping ingredients, ring your cowbell to signal dinner is ready, and bring your caquelon to the table to place atop your rechaud to keep it warm as you eat.
- En Guete!
