Alpine-Style Fondue

We finally found the perfect cheese duo for melting and dipping—and both are from Wisconsin.

Serves
6
Time
20 minutes

PHOTO: GRACE ANN LEADBEATER • FOOD STYLING: MADISON TRAPKIN

By Kat Craddock

Published on December 6, 2023

Paula Heimerl and Orphee Paillotin’s Mount Raclette is a smear-ripened cheese, which means it’s been hand-washed in their cellar for several months to give it a uniquely deep flavor. To tease out the ultra-savory notes in the cheese and add an extra oomph to Alpine-style fondue, Paula recommends rubbing the inside of your pot with garlic before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Featured in “Lessons From a Fondue Fête with Two Wisconsin Cheesemakers.”

Ingredients

1 clove garlic, halved lengthwise
1¼ cup dry white wine
½ lb. Mount Raclette, coarsely grated
½ lb. Roth Grand Cru, coarsely grated
Nutmeg
Cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. kirsch
Kosher salt
Country bread, cut into cubes

Instructions

Step 1

Rub the interior of a medium fondue pot with the cut side of the garlic clove, then discard the garlic. Add the wine and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Gradually add the cheese while stirring, then add a pinch each of fresh nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Cook, using a wooden spoon to stir continuously, until the cheese is melted but not yet fully combined with the wine.

Step 2

In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch with kirsch, then stir the slurry into melted cheese mixture. Continue cooking and stirring until the fondue is smooth and homogenous, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, season to taste with salt. Set the fondue pot over a tealight or sterno flame and serve with country bread for dipping.

Rub the interior of a medium fondue pot with the cut side of the garlic clove, then discard the garlic. Add the wine and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Gradually add the cheese while stirring, then add a pinch each of fresh nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Cook, using a wooden spoon to stir continuously, until the cheese is melted but not yet fully combined with the wine.
In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch with kirsch, then stir the slurry into melted cheese mixture. Continue cooking and stirring until the fondue is smooth and homogenous, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, season to taste with salt. Set the fondue pot over a tealight or sterno flame and serve with country bread for dipping.