FONDUE RECIPE

A Very Fun Alpine Fondue

(with only the best Comté · Beaufort · Abondance)

This is the kind of meal the Alps were built for. Friends around the table, bread in one hand, glass of wine in the other, and a pot of melted cheese gently bubbling in the middle. In France, we call this la convivialité — togetherness, the good kind.

Let’s cook, and learn a little French along the way.

What you need (serves 4-6)

The cheese (le fromage)

• 0.50 lb Comté – nutty and cozy

• 0.50 lb Beaufort – silky and slightly sweet

• 0.50 lb Abondance – floral and gently tangy

The base

• 1 garlic clove, cut in half

• 1 1/2 cups dry Alpine white wine
  (Think fresh, light, high-altitude wine — in French: vin vif et sec)

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

• 1 tablespoon kirsch (optional but très traditionnel)

• White pepper (poivre blanc)

• A pinch of nutmeg (muscade)

For dipping

• Day-old baguette, cut into cubes
  

How to make it (doucement… slowly)

Start by rubbing the inside of your fondue pot with the cut garlic. This step is called frotter l’ail. It perfumes the pot without overpowering the cheese. Leave the garlic inside.

Pour in the wine and warm it gently. You want steam, not bubbles. In French: surtout, ne fais pas bouillir — do not boil.

Mix all three grated cheeses together. Add them to the warm wine one handful at a time, stirring constantly in a figure-eight motion. This is remuer en huit. It helps the cheese melt smoothly and keeps it from separating.

Once everything is melted and silky, mix the cornstarch with the kirsch (or a splash of wine) and stir it in. Let it cook for one or two minutes until glossy and perfectly smooth.

Season with white pepper and just a whisper of nutmeg. Taste. Smile. Adjust if needed.

Transfer the pot to a low flame at the table and keep stirring from time to time. In France, we say ça ne doit jamais attacher — it should never stick.

A few very important French fondue rules

• Stir gently and often

• If it thickens, add a splash of warm wine (un petit peu de vin)

• If someone drops their bread, tradition says they owe the next bottle

• The last crusty layer at the bottom is called la religieuse — and it always belongs to the cook

Serve with a crisp Alpine white wine, simple salad on the side, and long conversations. January is not about restraint in the Alps. It’s about warmth, comfort, and cheese done right.