The weather has been positively 鈥渄rookit鈥� as of late. (That鈥檚 Scottish slang meaning: drenched.) So, what better for these blustery, damp days than to have friends over, get cozy, drink some wine and eat? But what to eat?
Finding a meal that pleases the old and the young, the culinary-inclined and the novice and something that won鈥檛 exhaust the hostess is no small feat. Might I suggest fondue? Oil fondues focus on meat and sauces. Broth fondues are the more heart-healthy alternative. And, of course, another option is cheese.聽
Because cheese is one of my favourite things in the world, I鈥檇 like to let you know a little more about this gastronomic delight.聽
The earliest known recipe for cheese fondue dates back to 1699, with popularization in North America in the 1960s. Lava lamps, leisure suits and shag carpets abounded during the 鈥�60s, a great theme for your next fondue party.
If you choose cheese, it is best to invest in a fondue pot. Sometimes you can score at thrift shops, but if you can鈥檛 find one there, seek out a Swissmar. They can easily go from stovetop to the dinner table鈥檚 burner, and the result of a nice long fondue session in one of these bad boys is the grilled cheese goodness that sticks to it over the session.聽
White wines can be used in the cheese mixture, but ideally you want to get your hands on some kirsch, which is unaged cherry brandy from Germany. You won鈥檛 need much, and it is a pretty fierce bevvy in its own right, so keep it with the leftover fondue fuel for your next soiree.
And what of the cheese?聽
Well, if you want to go really simple, there are the kits available at the grocery store, but why not make it from scratch? Get everyone grating cheese and sipping tiny sips of kirschwasser as your dinner shindig starts to heat up.
There are a lot of different cheese fondue recipes out there. Emmental and gruyere make up the majority of the recipes. Appenzeller, comt茅, beaufort, t锚te de moine and hoch ybrig聽are all relatively low-moisture and work fine as well.聽
You can always toss in a bit of your favourite for a twist. Apple-smoked cheddar, perhaps?
For dipping, use bread, of course! But parboiled broccoli, cauliflower and potatoes are lovely as well as grapes and sausage. White wine is the best pairing for fondue; try sauvignon blanc, riesling or gewurztraminer.聽
If you have to go red, choose syrah, pinot noir or beaujolais. Many craft beers would also do the trick.
Let鈥檚 not forget dessert: chocolate fondue. It can be segued in as you are finishing the cheese off.聽
There鈥檚 nothing like chocolate and cheese together in the same setting.聽
To great dipping!
