Classic Fondue (fondue Neuchateloise)

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Dredge the cheese lightly with the flour.  Rub the cooking pot wiht
garlic; pour in the wine; wet over moderate heat.  When air bubbles
rise to surface, add lemon juice.  Then add the cheese by handfuls,
stirring constantly with a wooden fork or spoon until the cheese is
melting.  Add the Kirsch and spices, sitrring until blended.  Serve
and keep bubbling hot over burner.  Spear the bread cubes through the
soft wide into the crust, dunk and swirl in the fondue. Local
Variations:  There are a number of different fondues in western
Switzerland and their chief difference depends on the cheeses used.
Very often, two varieties of the same cheese are used, i.e., a young
cheese and a well-matured one. Fondue from Fribourg is different from
the classic (recipe above) in as much as no wine or Kirsch is used  int
he dish.  Hot water is substituted in their stead. Also in  Fribourg,
potatoes are sometimes used in lieu of bread. Fondue from  Valais uses
the local cheeses and hot milk to melt the cheese in.  Fondue from
Geneva sometimes has a handful of peeled, seeded and  chopped fresh
tomatoes added with the cheese. The chief thing to  remember about a
cheese fondue is that the cheese must cook  over  very low heat or it
will become stringy. It must also be kept hot,  but over low heat, so
that it will not heat too much and become  tough. Equipment: In
Switzerland a fondue is made in a round metal or  earthenware pot, but
a heavy earthenware or cast-iron casserole will  serve as long as it
holdss the heat and is round in shape. The pot  (caquelon) is put in
the middle of the table on a fondue-warmer,  which may be a mild
alcohol flame or an electric hot plate. Long  handled forks are
necessary to hold the bread. Cheeses: The choice of  cheese if of the
greatest importance.  For a good fondue you must  have a well-matured
Swiss Cheese.  American Swiss cheese is seldom,  if ever, sufficently
matured to make a proper fondue.  It's worth  buying a cheese marked
with the red trademark SWITZERLAND.  For the  mildest fondue, use all
Emmentaler cheese. For a medium fondue, use  half Emmentaler and half
Gruyere. If you like a stronger flavor, use  two thirds Gruyere and one
third Emmentaler. The strongest fondue is  made from well-matured
Gruyere. Preparation of the cheese: Experience  has proved that cheese
cut into small dice melts better and more  smoothly than grated cheese.
The latter tends to form lumps when  cooking. Wine: Choose a light,
sparkling, slightly acid wine,  preferably a Swiss Neuchatel.  The
acidity of the wine helps to  liquify the cheese and to make the melted
cheese homogenous. Wines  with little acidity are not suited to a
fondue. If you think that the  wine is not sufficently acid, add a
little lemon juice to help  prevent formation of lumps. (One teaspoon
of lemon juice for each 6-7  tablespoons--3 1/2 liquid ounces) of wine
will serve). Proportion of  cheese and wine: Count on about 6-7
tablespoonss of wine for each 6  ounces of cheese. Since cheese,
depending on its kind and age,  absorbs  liquids differently, you may
have to adjust these quantities  a little.  Start with less wine rather
than more--you can always add  some. How to cook the fondue: Rub the
fondue pan with a cut garlic  clove. Pour in the wine. Put the pan on
low heat on the kitchen stove  if the fondue is to be made in the
kitchen and then taken to the  warmer at the table or placed over the
heat of a chafing dish. Warm  the wine, but do not boil it. Dredge the
cheese with the flour. Add  the cheese gradually, stirring constantly,
not clockwise but in the  shape of a figure 8. Increase the heat to
moderate. Keep on stirring  and don't worry if the cheese does not
thicken at once. Flavor with  pepper and nutmeg to taste; most likely
it will not need salt since  the cheese is usually salty enough. Stir
in a little Kirsch (or  brandy, gin or whiskey) until smooth and
creamy. (A pinch of baking  soda will make a lighter fondue). Now bring
the fondue to the table.  Once the fondue has been made, it should be
kept bubbling. Regulate  the flame of the warmer so that the fondue
keeps simmering while it  is being eaten. Toward the end of the meal,
some of the melted cheese  in the pot will form a brown crust at the
bottom of the pot. At this  stage, keep the heat as low as possible
(earthenware may crack at  this point). The crust can be lifted out
with a fork and is  considered a special treat. How to eat the fondue:
It's important to  dunk the bread in a stirring motion; this helps
maintain proper  consistency of the fondue. Care of the fondue: It is
essential that  the fondue keeps bubbling lightly at all times.  This
is done by  regulating the heat, or by turning it off and on.  If the
fondue  should become lumpy, or the liquid separate from the fat, the
following should be tried: put the fondue back onto the stove, stir  it
thoroughly with a wire whisk and add 1/2 teaspoon constarch.  It  may
also be diluted with up to 1/2 glass wine (warm first). This  should
bring it back to a creamy consistency. Fondue does turn lumpy  despite
the care you have taken. Chese that is not well matured tends  to
become lumpy and to form "threads." Both of these can be avoided  by
using more Gruyere cheese than Emmentaler in the mixture. If the
fondue becomes too thick because of the continuous cooking and
evaporation of the liquid, it can be thinned by adding some wine  (warm
first). Care of fondue eaters: Do not drink cold or iced
drinks--including wine-- during fondue eating. Traditionally Kirsch  is
served in the "middle." Finish the meal with a cup of hot coffee  or
tea. This is important. Drinking cold liquids will cause stomach
aches.  Recipe By     :  File
ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/mmdja006.zip

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Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
----------------------------------------------
Calories: 23
Calories From Fat: <1
Total Fat: <1g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: <1mg
Potassium: 13.2mg
Carbohydrates: 5g
Fiber: <1g
Sugar: <1g
Protein: <1g