Fondue w/ Havarti Cheese
This havarti fondue consists of havarti, sauvignon blanc (or other dry white wine), lemon juice, kirsch, mustard powder, cayenne powder, and homemade bread.
Equipment
- Cheese Grater
- Small Bowl or Large Plastic Bag
- Saucepan
- Stovetop
- Fondue Pot optional
Ingredients
- 14 oz. Havarti (or other Swiss cheese)
- 1-2 tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 c. dry white wine (I used sauvignon blanc)
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 tbsp. kirsch
- 1 tsp. mustard ground
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper ground
- 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, 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.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
- For more tips and tricks, including what kind of wine and cheese works best, I have an entire article on The Fundamentals of Making Fondue.
- I also made No-knead Dutch Oven Bread with this recipe. You can easily buy a loaf of bread. If you want to make it, though, this is a relatively quick and easy recipe. The entire process takes about 3 hours, with no need to knead the bread or plan for days long proofs!