Fondue is fantastic, fondue is (palate)delight, fondue is fromage! But: Fondue is not just fondue ...! We favor a particularly sumptuous three cheeses from Savoie: the so-called "Fondue Savoyarde". To do this, take one part Beaufort, one part Comté Extra and one part French Emmental. An absolute poem!
The Beaufort brings the spiciness, the Comté its fine nutty aromas and the Emmental a certain fruitiness. Above all, the latter is responsible for the creaminess, since it is much softer and more elastic and has even better melting properties compared to the other two mountain cheeses, which are firmer and more crystalline.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 Beaufort
- 1/3 Comte
- 1/3 French Emmental
- 2-3 glasses of dry white wine, such as Contraste branco or Saumur blanc
- optional: kirsch and a clove of garlic
- Cubed white bread for dipping
Preparation:
Remove the rind from the cheese and cut the cheese into small cubes. If you like, you can rub a clove of garlic into the fondue pot or another large pot. Put the cheese cubes and wine in the saucepan and let the cheese melt over a low heat. Stir regularly, although — listen, here's a fun fact — the real Savoyard swears by all means that you stir with a wooden spoon and not in round circular motions, but in figure eights. It is said that this makes the fondue even creamier.
Optionally, you can also add a capful of cherry brandy to the fondue at the end. It is said to help with digestion. But beware: this can quickly become very intense. We personally prefer the pure version without the schnapps. In case of doubt, you can simply drink it if you feel like it... Alternatively, we recommend the fine Dr. Jaglas bitter elixirs made from artichoke or ginseng .
Our wine recommendation for fondue:
First of all, it is very important that you cook the same wine that you drink (preferably while cooking). White wine goes better than red wine and it shouldn't be too fruity, because that doesn't go well. We recommend either the Contraste branco from Portugal or the Saumur blanc from France from the Loire.
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By the way, it doesn't always have to be fondue or the classic raclette with real raclette cheese. Here are our other cheese tips for the winter: As an alternative to the classic raclette cheese, we recommend a Saint-Nectaire , which also has the best melting properties and is also well suited for thickening sauces. Or an Ardi Gasna , a sheep's cheese from the French Basque Country. And fondue also works with 1/2 Comté and 1/2 Abondance or or or ... the possibilities are almost endless! Just ask us, we would be happy to advise you!
