Basic Fondue Recipes

Steps:

• In resealable plastic food-storage bag, place cheeses and flour. Shake until cheese is coated with flour.
• Rub garlic on bottom and side of fondue pot, heavy saucepan or skillet; discard garlic. Add wine. Heat over simmer setting on fondue pot or over low heat just until bubbles rise to surface (do not boil). Stir in lemon juice.
• Gradually add cheese mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly with wire whisk over low heat, until melted. Stir in kirsch.
• Keep warm over simmer setting. If prepared in saucepan or skillet, pour into a fondue pot or heatproof serving bowl and keep warm over low heat. Fondue must be served over heat to maintain its smooth, creamy texture.
• Spear bread and fruit with fondue forks; dip and swirl in fondue with stirring motion. If fondue becomes too thick, stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup heated wine.

Steps:

• Simmer wine in fondue pot. Add Swiss cheese, Gruyere cheese, 1/4 pound at a time. Stir after each addition of cheese until melted. Stir in flour. When all the cheese has melted, stir in salt and nutmeg. Serve with cut-up French bread.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, coat the cheeses with cornstarch and set aside. Rub the inside of the ceramic fondue pot with the garlic, then discard.
• Over medium heat, add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a gentle simmer. Gradually stir the cheese into the simmering liquid. Melting the cheese gradually encourages a smooth fondue. Once smooth, stir in cherry brandy, mustard and nutmeg.
• Arrange an assortment of bite-sized dipping foods on a lazy Susan around fondue pot. Serve with chunks of French and pumpernickel breads. Some other suggestions are Granny Smith apples and blanched vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and asparagus. Spear with fondue forks or wooden skewers, dip, swirl and enjoy!

Steps:

• Heat the wine in a heavy-based saucepan, then add the cheese, a handful at a time, and keep stirring. When all the cheese has melted, add the kirsch, followed by the cornflour, stirring until completely smooth.
• Serve the pan in the middle of the table on a wooden board with the chunks of baguette for dipping.

Steps:

• Pour the wine and lemon juice into a heavy-based pan over a medium-low heat and warm until steaming. Add all of the cheese, a handful at a time, whisking between each addition until all the cheese has been added. Continue to stir for 4-5 mins until everything is fully melted, smooth and creamy. Mix the cornflour with the kirsch in a small bowl, then stir this into the cheese mixture. Continue to cook over a low heat for a minute more.
• Rub the garlic on the inside of the fondue pot, if you like, then carefully pour the cheese mixture into the pot and immediately place it over the flame. (If you don't have a fondue set, add the garlic along with the wine in step one, then remove and discard it before you add the kirsch mixture.) Serve immediately with crusty bread, boiled new potatoes, vegetable crudités or cornichons for dunking, if you like. You can place the fondue back over a low heat if you need to reheat it after serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix the vinegar with the cornflour and place in a heatproof bowl with the cheeses. Set over a pan of boiling water. Slowly melt the cheese, stirring occasionally. When it's nearly melted, add the crème fraîche and a little black pepper, if you like. Lower the heat and keep warm.
• To make croutons, toss the bread in the oil and a little seasoning on a baking sheet, then bake for 10-15 mins until golden and crisp.
• To serve, put the cheese fondue on a large platter and arrange the croutons, veg and salamis alongside it.