Love cheese? Try this fondue recipe

For some of us, cheese makes everything better. Particularly when it’s melted and more than a little messy. Which is probably why so many cheese lovers go nuts over fondue.

This recipe for Fondue Savoyarde combines no less than five types of cheese, flavored with a touch of garlic, nutmeg and mustard. The recipe also includes a little kirsch and wine -- and not just for flavor. Believe it or not, wine has been used for ages to stabilize cheese in fondue. As the cheese melts, the wine contributes water and acid to keep the emulsion stable. It also adds a nice tang.

But enough science. Let’s get back to that melted cheese.

FONDUE SAVOYARDE

Total time: 40 minutes | Serves 6 to 8

Note: Fondue cheeses are a matter of personal choice, but in the Savoie, the mix usually includes two Swiss-type cheeses, Gruyere de Comte and the rarer Gruyere de Beaufort, along with the pungent semisoft Morbier. This recipe comes from Laurent Bonjour.

3/4 pound Gruyere de Beaufort
3/4 pound Gruyere de Comte
3/4 pound Appenzeller
3/4 pound Morbier
1/4 pound Roquefort, or a little more to taste
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 1/2 cups Apremont or Chardonnay
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup kirsch
3 baguettes, cut into bite-size pieces
1 egg

1. Grate or dice the Gruyere de Beaufort, Gruyere de Comte, Appenzeller, Morbier and Roquefort cheeses and mix them in a bowl.

2. Rub the inside of a fondue pot or heavy pot with the garlic clove. Pour in the wine and bring it to boil over medium heat. Gradually incorporate the cheese mixture, stirring constantly in a figure-eight pattern with a wooden spoon.

3. When the cheese is entirely melted, about 20 to 25 minutes, add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Stir in the mustard and kirsch.

4. To serve, set the fondue pot on the table over a fondue burner and let diners spear pieces of bread with fondue forks and plunge them into the fondue. Stir the fondue frequently (always in a figure-eight pattern) to keep it from separating or sticking to the bottom.

5. When the fondue is nearly finished, clean up the pot by putting in some pieces of bread, adding the egg and stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens. Let diners pick out the pieces of bread with their fondue forks.

Each of 8 servings: 958 calories; 58 grams fat; 34 grams saturated fat; 212 mg. cholesterol; 1,351 mg. sodium.

Love cooking as much as I do? Follow me @noellecarter

ALSO

You’ll love this black bean hummus recipe

Try this quick and easy fruit gratin recipe for dessert tonight

Farmers market report: Strawberries are in season. Here are 9 recipes