Fondue

Ingredients

• 1 garlic clove
• 4 dl white wine
• 800 g swiss cheese (50/50 mix of Gruyère and Emmentaler recommended)
• 1 shot kirsch (cherry brandy)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1-2 tbsp starch flour
• 1 loaf white bread
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• black pepper

Method

Rub the inside of your fondue pot (or heavy-bottomed saucepan if you don't have one) with the cut garlic clove. This deposits allicin and garlic oils that flavour the wine without leaving chunks. Pour in the white wine and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat — you're after a barely-there bubble, not a rolling boil. The wine needs to warm through and begin to lose its harsh edge; this takes about 3 minutes.

While the wine heats, grate your cheese on the large holes of a box grater. Mix it with the cornflour (or potato starch) in a bowl — the starch acts as a suspending agent, coating each cheese particle so it emulsifies into the wine rather than clumping or separating into greasy pools. Once the wine is steaming, add the cheese in three or four batches, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk. Wait until each addition has mostly dissolved before adding the next; you're looking for a smooth, glossy sauce with no visible grainy bits. This takes about 5 minutes total. The stirring is non-negotiable — it breaks down the cheese structure and enables emulsification with the wine and fat, creating a stable suspension rather than a separated mess.

Once the cheese is fully incorporated, add the kirsch and lemon juice. The acid from the lemon and the alcohol from the brandy both stabilise the emulsion by preventing the cheese proteins from bonding too tightly. Taste and season with a pinch of nutmeg and black pepper — nutmeg cuts the richness and sharpens the dairy flavour. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon with a slight sheen and move slowly when you tilt the pot; if it's too thick, thin it with a splash of warm wine.

Cut your bread into roughly 2 cm cubes — large enough that they won't disintegrate into the fondue. Transfer the pot to a chafing-dish with a spirit burner or candle underneath to maintain gentle heat. Bread pieces should be speared on fondue forks, dipped with a gentle stirring motion to collect a thin coating, then rotated to cool slightly before eating. Keep the sauce at a bare simmer throughout service; if it breaks or becomes grainy, whisk in a tablespoon of warm wine to rebuild the emulsion.