Swiss Fondue With 4 Cheeses - an Authentic Recipe

"My family lives on the border of Switzerland in France, and this recipe has been with them forever. I believe it to be a true Swiss Fondue recipe, and wanted to post it for those desiring an authentic taste. In searching the other recipes on Zaar, I was absolutely horrified by some of the ingredients... mustard, worcesterchire sauce, blue cheese!! I hope you enjoy this treasured recipe and the good times that it brings. Please note, that you may not be able to find Appenzeller cheese. You may substitute it by adding larger quantities of Gruyere and/or Emmentaler. Jarlsberg is a bit more mild and won't have the same punch that the others do. ***The formula is: 1/2 lb cheese per person, 1/4 cup of wine per person, 1 clove of garlic per person. Adjust accordingly for larger or smaller dinner parties. This recipe will serve 4. The cheese measurements are flexible and can go up or down by a few ounces or so... you don't need to be exact, but just follow the formula to be: Larger portion of Gruyere and Emmentaler, Smaller portion of Jarlsberg, and Smallest portion of Appenzeller. When purchasing the cheeses, remember that the rind will be cut off and will reduce the amounts of usable cheese by several ounces, so plan to buy a bit larger block of each."
 
Download
photo by breezermom photo by breezermom
photo by breezermom
photo by breezermom photo by breezermom
Ready In:
1hr 25mins
Ingredients:
10
Yields:
2 lbs cheese
Serves:
4
Advertisement

ingredients

Advertisement

directions

  • Cut off all rinds from each cheese.
  • Cut all of the cheeses into cubes.
  • Place cubes in a medium pot (preferably ceramic like Le Creuset) and put on the stovetop just below medium heat.
  • Pour the white wine over the cheese in the pot.
  • Crush the 4 cloves of garlic into the pot.
  • Stir the pot, turning up the heat SLIGHTLY if necessary to melt. Remember that the cheese takes a while to melt, and if you turn up the heat too high in a fit of impatience then you will scorch the bottom of the cheese and have black chunks floating around in it -- so be patient and keep stirring and folding so it does not burn the bottom!
  • Fold the cheese as it progressively melts so that the cubes on top can contact the heated bottom.
  • Once the cheese has fully melted, assess the consistency to determine whether to raise the heat. If the cheese has fully melted, but is VERY thick and hard to stir, turn up the heat a bit (constantly stirring and folding) to melt it further. It should be creamy but not stiff.
  • Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the Kirschwasser and the cornstarch together until smooth.
  • When the cheese has reached the fully melted ideal, and it is easy to stir, add the Kirschwasser and cornstarch mixture and mix it in well. The cornstarch thickens the cheese and helps it all to coagulate so you don't have the cheese oils sitting in pools on top of the cheese.
  • Stir in the nutmeg.
  • The fondue should be well blended, creamy, and thick but not stiff. Test by dipping a cube of bread -- If the cheese does not stick or soak into the bread then you may need to turn the heat up, being careful not to burn the bottom.
  • On the otherhand, if it is too thin, be careful not to add too much cornstarch or else you will get stuck with a stiff fondue that is hard to dip into. Try lowering the heat or adding slightly more cornstarch (mixed with Kirschwasser or water first).
  • When the ideal consistency is reached, place the pot over the flame on the tabletop and serve.
  • Bon appetit!

Questions & Replies

Got a question? Share it with the community!
Advertisement

Reviews

  1. This is really a classic way Fondue is made in Switzerland. It is not very common to use Jarlsberg in Switzerland. In different parts of Switzerland different cheeses are used, so why not use Jalsberg. Make sure to use dry kirschwasser, NOT a sweet one!
     
  2. This is THE one! Yes! This is the most authentic fondue I have made at home - and my French Swiss friends agreed with me too! FABULOUS - thanks so much! I made this absolutley to the last dot, and it was perfect. Do NOT think of leaving out the nutmeg, it is an essential ingredient in this recipe. As this was held for several friends, my photos were not good enough to post, as they consisted of (greedy)laughing faces and anxious hands with skewered baguette!!! BUT - I intend to do this for Malcolm and I one evening, now winter is here - so photos to follow! I made this in a Le Creuset Fondue set, it cooked to perfection! Merci beaucoup! FT:-)
     
  3. I made this exactly as posted, and found that my cheese melted faster than specified in the recipe. However, it seemed to want to stay thick and stretchy, with the oils floating around, even after adding the cornstarch mixture. Regardless, it was delicious with the cubed French bread. Thanks for sharing%u2026.made for ZWT7.
     
  4. This was my first attempt at fondue, I found it to be easy and delicious. Thank you for posting.
     
Advertisement

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/Adopted1smp.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/IWasAdoptedfall08.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> I'm half French and half Italian, so that means I love food, I love wine, and I love food with wine! I'm passionate about my cultures and it reflects in my cooking style. I love dishes with complexity, richness, and unique character. I prefer cooking the old fashioned way, with less technology and more elbow grease, but with a new baby I have to sometimes bite the bullet and go with some shortcuts. But for the record, I NEVER use Cool Whip, Crisco, or margarine because I love "whole" foods that are in their unadulterated state... like butter, fresh whipped cream, etc. The real stuff ALWAYS tastes better. Not to mention those substitutes are pretty close to being plastic. As for my personal life, I have a 2 and a half year old girl named Sienna and an 8 month old girl named Mia. My husband and I love to enjoy a home cooked meal together and open a great bottle of red wine. My parents both are wonderful cooks. My father is a seasoning genius, and my mother makes everything taste delicious. They both instilled in me the love of food and the love of the art of food, and that every meal should be a celebrated occasion. The cake used as my "icon" picture... a beautiful mocha genoise, was made by my mother, and is probably at the top of my list for amazing desserts. I would probably eat that for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if it were available to me. Mmmmmm. I have traveled all over Europe and the United States, and also visited Morocco. Marrakesh is magical, France is inspiring, and I wish I could go back! I have truly become a Zaar addict and love searching out the highest rated recipes to share with family and friends. Doing this has saved me a ton of money at the grocery store because I can plan out my meals for the week and make one trip instead of shopping everyday. I love crockpot meals not just for the simplicity, but slow cooking in my opinion brings out remarkable flavor and tenderness and allows ingredients to meld just so. My rating system for recipes are as follows: 5 stars means it was FABULOUS and unique and I'll definitely be making it to impress my guests. 4 stars means it was great and I will be sure to make it again. 3 stars means it was good and served the purpose I needed but I may or may not make it again. 2 stars means I really didn't care for it and probably won't be making it again. It may not just be the taste, but other factors such as preparation involved and it's worth compared to the end result. 1 star means I really did not like this dish and will not make it again. Thanks for your interest and hope you enjoy my recipes! ******************** I first saw this on Karen from Colorado's page... I love it!... I didn't have potatoes, so I substituted rice. I didn't have paprika, so I used another spice. I didn't have tomato sauce, I used tomato paste; A whole can, not a half can - I don't believe in waste. A friend gave me the recipe; she said you couldn't beat it. There must be something wrong with her, I couldn't even eat it!
 
View Full Profile
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Find More Recipes