Fondu

We had a pretty casual, grown up Christmas eve at my house this year. My parents brought the traditional crab legs and my contribution was a cheese fondue. I have only made fondue once before and it was ages ago. So I thought it would be a good one to tackle for our picky dinner.

I don't have a fondue pot, so of course, I had to improvise. We put a bowl of hot water under the bowl of fondue and it worked fine.

I pulled a million things out of the fridge as dipping materials; french bread, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper & broccoli. I roasted some asparagus, fingerling potatoes, & sweet potatoes, and grilled some chicken & steak that were marinated in indian spices.

Fondue originated in Switzerland as a way to use up hardened cheese, and was therefore a peasant dish. Works for me! There are only a few ingredients, although my recipe called for a cherry liquer called Kirsh, which i didn't have, plus it sounded weird, so I omitted that. Other than that it's pretty much cheese and wine. Say no more, right? It was a hit. And it was really easy, even without the fondue pot. Give it a try for your next picky dinner.

Here's the recipe I used:

Rub the inside of 2 quart saucepan with a clove of garlic.

Add 2/3 C. dry white wine and the juice of 1/2 a lemon.

Heat over low heat until gently bubbling.

Gradually add 8 oz. shredded gruyere cheese & stir till melted.

Whisk 1 Tbs. Kirsh (I just used water) with 2 Tbs. cornstarch and a little black pepper & nutmeg until it forms a smooth paste.

Stir into cheese and cook for 3 mins. Adjust seasonings & serve.