Gouda Cheese Fondue

November 7, 2006

Wolfgang Puck

The real variety in fondue making comes from the cheeses you use and what you dip. Traditional fondues feature nutty-tasting Gruyere or Emmenthaler. But you can substitute any cheese or blend of cheeses you like, as long as they melt well. My recipe here includes aged Gouda. I also like to include mozzarella (the packaged firm kind normally used for pizzas), which gives the fondue a pleasing stringiness. Quantities can easily be doubled or tripled.

For dipping, start with bite-sized cubes of baguette or sourdough; I first toast them lightly in the oven so they’ll be less likely to fall apart in the pot. Crisp breadsticks are good, too, and don’t need to be speared for dipping. And, if you like, offer thick slices of cured sausage or cubes of ham, along with vegetables such as broccoli florets or whole button mushrooms. Arrange everything attractively on one or more platters to go alongside the fondue pot.

Add wine or beer and you have a holiday party ready to happen.
Click here for Wolfgang Puck's full introduction.

Ingredients

1 large clove garlic, sliced in half lengthwise
1/2 C. dry white wine
5 oz. mozzarella, shredded
5 oz. aged Gouda cheese, shredded
1 Tbs. cornstarch
2 Tbs. Kirsch
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
1 baguette or sourdough loaf, cut into 2-inch cubes
Crisp breadsticks
Assorted vegetables, cooked ham, and cured sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Set a fondue pot stand with a heat source, or an electric warming tray, in the middle of your dining table, and arrange around it individual serving plates accompanied by long fondue forks for dipping.

Rub the inside bottom of a fondue pot or enameled cast-iron casserole with the cut sides of the garlic halves, then discard the garlic. Put the pan over high heat and immediately add the wine, stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon to dissolve the garlic residue.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, use your fingers to toss the two cheeses together with the cornstarch, until evenly combined. Reduce the heat under the pot or casserole to low and add the cheese-cornstarch mixture. Stir continuously until the mixture is thoroughly melted and smooth. Stir in the Kirsch and season with a little freshly ground black pepper and just a small pinch of nutmeg.

While the fondue is cooking, spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet. Put them in the preheated oven and bake just until they are lightly toasted, 5-7 minutes, taking care that they don’t turn too brown or burn.

Carefully transfer the pot or casserole of fondue to the table, placing it above a gentle tabletop heat source that will keep the fondue warm during eating. Serve the fondue immediately, accompanied by the bread, vegetables, and meats, offering long fondue forks with which each person can spear bites of bread, vegetable, or meat and dip them into the cheese.

Yield: 4 servings

(Chef Wolfgang Puck’s TV series, “Wolfgang Puck’s Cooking Class,” airs Sundays on the Food Network. Also, his latest cookbook, “Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy,” is now available in bookstores. Write Wolfgang Puck in care of Tribune Media Services Inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, N.Y. 14207.)
©2006 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

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