Cheese Fondue

I had been wanting to have a fondue party for a long time. I have fond fondue memories from when I was a kid. My mother had fondue parties and I loved them.

I decided to start things off with two different cheese fondue recipes. One was made with Jarlsberg cheese and the other with smoked Gouda. The recipe for both was pretty much the same. Probably pretty close to what my mom used to make, too.

There was one ingredient I used that my mom would not have even heard of- sodium citrate. Sodium citrate has several applications in molecular gastronomy. For me, its value is what it does when added to cheese sauce. Sodium citrate makes cheese sauce super creamy. If you have ever made a cheese sauce and ended up with a grainy texture, you know how frustrating that can be. Sodium citrate makes that problem go away. I get mine online. If you don’t have sodium citrate, your cheese sauce will still be good- but not as creamy.

So here is the recipe I used for my cheese fondue.

Smoked Gouda Cheese Fondue

1 garlic clove, peeled*

½ a bottle of white wine- dry preferred

2 T. sodium citrate

2 T. Kirsch

2 lbs. shredded Smoked Gouda

Dash of hot sauce

*In a classic cheese fondue, you are supposed to rub a garlic clove around the inside of the fondue pot, to give just a hint of garlic flavor to your fondue. I just put the garlic in the pot and removed it just before adding the cheese.

In pot, place garlic, wine, sodium citrate and Kirsch. Bring to a boil. Remove garlic. Start adding the cheese, a handful at a time, stirring vigorously. As each batch of cheese melts, add another handful until all the cheese has been added. Stir until smooth. Add a bit of hot sauce- if you like. Transfer to a fondue pot. Keep warm. Serve with crusty bread cubes and assorted veggies.

Note: I opted to make my fondue in a separate pot, then transfer it to the fondue pot. I just found it easier for me, but you can make the whole thing in the fondue pot, if you prefer.

The dippers: I had crusty bread, that I cubed up and toasted. I also roasted baby potatoes, asparagus, sweet peppers and mushrooms. I steamed broccoli until it was just a bit past raw- 4 minutes in the microwave.     

The Jarlsberg fondue was pretty much the same recipe, but it seemed to need a little something extra. I added some roasted garlic, which was good. It also needed a bit of salt.

Special thanks to Jonathan, Jill and Dale for your extra help to make this happen.