Fondue w/ Manchego Cheese

I have been making a ton of fondue lately. It's one of my favorite things to make and is actually quite a bit simpler to do so than most people first imagine. The cheese in fondue is coated in cornstarch, which helps prevent the sauce from breaking. If you've ever struggled with the oil separating and the cheese not melting properly? Fondue is absolutely the answer. Lately I've been experimenting with different cheeses and flavor profiles. This particular Manchego fondue is a delicious mix of sheep cheese with a classic dry white wine and kirsch.

I didn't entirely go into this thinking that I was going to make Manchego fondue. But I do tend to come home with quite the assortment of cheese some days that I then have the joy of figuring out what to do with. Most cheeses with a similar texture and consistency can be substituted for one another. Even if they have vastly different flavors, a semi-hard Manchego can be used in the place of a semi-hard Gruyère and Emmentaler. So, despite it seeming like an odd combination at first! Manchego is actually a good choice for a fondue substitute and quite a delicious one at that.

Gallery

Variations of Manchego Fondue

I'm constantly mixing and matching different flavor profiles in fondue. From the classic Swiss cheeses to adding pumpkin and turning the entire entire thing into a lasagna. Fondue is incredibly versatile and a fun dish to experiment with.

Fondue w/ Roasted Pumpkin

Lasagna w/ Manchego & Fresh Mozzarella

Fondue w/ Gruyère & Swiss Cheese

Fondue w/ Manchego Cheese

This Manchego fondue consists of Manchego sheep cheese, white wine, lemon juice, kirsch, ground mustard, and freshly minced garlic. I went on to turn this recipe into Lasagna w/ Manchego & Fresh Mozzarella. Although you could easily leave it as is and pair the fondue with bread, apples, pairs, and various produce of choice. I'm particularly fond of making No-knead Dutch Oven Bread.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine French

Servings 8 servings

Equipment

Cheese Grater
Small Bowl (or Large Plastic Bag)
Saucepan
Fondue Pot (optional)

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs. Manchego grated
1-2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 c. dry white wine (I used sauvignon blanc)
1 lemon juiced
2 tbsp. kirsch
1 tsp. ground mustard
3 cloves garlic minced
dash salt
dash pepper
bread, apples, and/or produce of choice for dipping

Instructions

Grate cheese into a small bowl and toss with cornstarch. Make sure that all of the pieces are lightly coated.
This will help the cheese from separating when you cook it. If you're having a tedious time getting the cornstarch coated without clumping, add the mixture to a large Ziplock bag and shake.
Meanwhile, add wine and lemon juice to the saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Once the wine mixture begins to simmer, slowly stir in the cheese about 1/4 cup at a time. Make sure to stir constantly until fully incorporated.
The key to a creamy fondue is adding in the cheese gradually. If it’s added too quickly, the mixture will separate!
Once all of the cheese is incorporated and the mixture is smooth, stir in the Kirsch, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Serve immediately.
You can do this by transferring to a fondue pot and maintaining about a medium heat. The fondue needs to be just warm enough to maintain the consistency. Reduce slightly if it begins to simmer and increase the heat slightly if it starts to solidify. You will need to stir it occasionally and adjust the temperature while eating. The less fondue that's in the pot, the lower the temperature will need to be.
Alternatively, place the fondue in any bowl of choice and eat quickly! Fondue will re-solidify at room temperature, but it's a lot less work to eat out of a bowl than it is to hand wash a fondue pot afterwards.