FOND-U-LIKE
Cheese Specials

The cheese fondue gives the maximum scope for experiments. You can try all your favourite cheeses, alone or in combination. Most hard and semi-hard cheese that melts nicely can be used. Test by melting a bit on some toast first to check. Here we have created some "national" and interesting fondues that you might like. Use the recipe on the Cheese Fondue page but substitute a total of 400 to 450 grams of these cheeses. We have checked them all out.

When using milder cheeses, flavour can be increased by adding nutmeg, paprika, Tabasco, mustard, ground cumin or Worcester Source. Thicker fondues can be thinned with a little double cream. As a variant, instead of using wine in the fondue try beer, lager or cider, and other spirits such as Whisky instead of the Kirche.

Swiss Mountain

Vacherin
Bündner Burgkäse

Rhône Valley

Bovonne (a Gruyère type cheese from the Chablais district of the canton of Vaud)
Maigrion (from Sierre in the canton of Valais)

Bernina Pass

Bernina
Val Poschiavo

The first cheese comes from cows grazing on pasture around Piz Bernina (4049 m), to the north of the Bernina Pass. The second is from the Poschiavo valley, just to the south side of the pass. We had a starter of Bündnerfleisch, which had also been produced in this region.

Jungfrau Region

Wengener - Allmend
Grindelwaldener

These two Burgkäse come from cows grazing on pasture close to the Eiger (3970 m) and Jungfrau (4158 m). Again Bündnerfleisch makes a good Swiss starter.

Titlis

Engelberger
Untertrübsee

These Burgkäse are from the valley below the Titlis (3238 m) in the central region of Switzerland.

Austrian

Salzburgerland Almkönig
Tiroler Edelziege

Serve with sautéd baby chestnut mushrooms in addition to bread.

English

Cheddar
Stilton

Serve with sliced apple in addition to bread.

Better Red Than Dead

Red Leicester
Double Gloucester

Use red wine instead of white and add some tomato purée to the mixture.

True Blue

Blue Stilton
Shropshire Blue

To get the blue look, keep back a little of the cheese with "blue streaks" and add just before serving.

Welsh

Y-Fenni (A mature Welsh Cheddar containing ale and whole grain mustard. Y-Fenni is the Welsh name for the town that the English call Abergavenny.)

Serve with baby leeks and potatoes, we tried anya potatoes, in addition to bread.

Manx Fondue

Oak Smoked Cheddar
Black Peppercorn Cheddar

Two cheeses from the Isle of Man Milk Marketing Association, blended to produce this unusual fondue. The Oak Smoked combines the flavour of Manx mature cheddar with that from the Island's traditional smoking skills. The Black Peppercorn adds bite.

Hong Kong Hallowe'en

Gruyère (200 grams)
Emmental (200 grams)
Pumpkin (150 grams)

Bizarrely we first found pumpkin fondue in Hong Kong (hence the name and flag). Use the standard fondue method. Finely grate the flesh of the pumpkin (not the skin, fibre or seeds). Add to the pot and cook in with the wine. Grate a little nutmeg into the mixture. As pumpkin is very seasonal in the U.K. (in the U.S. you can get it canned), you could substitute a squash. For an all American version, use Monterey Jack cheese. Note that as a novelty, the whole thing could be served in the hollowed out pumpkin instead of in the fondue pot.

Indian Muttar Paneer

Paneer (150 grams)
Mild Chedder (250 grams)
Frozen or fresh peas (150 grams)
This recipe sets out to replicate the Indian dish Mutter Paneer (various spellings found) in fondue form. Use the standard fondue method for the cheeses, but as it does not melt, the paneer is best cut into small cubes rather than being grated. Pre-cook the peas in boiling water. In a little oil, sauté a small finely chopped onion and some crushed garlic. Add ¼ teaspoon chilli powder, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon turmeric and ½ teaspoon ground coriander and cook for a few more minutes. Add this spice mix to the melting fondue mixture, together with the peas and some tomato purée, and allow it to thoroughly cook in. Serve with Naan bread for dipping in the fondue. Caution: This highly spiced cheese fondue is quite unlike others you may have tried.

French Onion

Camembert (250 grams)
Roquefort (150 grams)

As these cheeses are soft, keep the wine quantity to a minimum. Sauté a chopped onion in butter together with a little brown sugar, a splash of balsamic vinegar and some garlic, and add to the mixture. Serve with sautéd baby chestnut mushrooms and with some of the bread lightly toasted to form croûtons.

Petite Sayoyarde

Comté
Abondance

Uses two of the lesser known cheeses found in Savoy fondues. Add grated nutmeg to the mixture.

Dauphinoise

Saint Marcellin
Beaufort

Add grated nutmeg to the mixture. A Savoyarde style fondue but using Saint Marcellin, a cheese from the Dauphiné region east of Grenoble.

Bordelaise

Comté Extra (from the Jura)
Etchola (from the Pyrénées Atlantique)

Made with white Bordeaux wine and using two cheeses that are often sold in the Bordeaux region. We also added small pieces of fried bacon to the mix (as in Fondue Paysanne) and served with sautéd baby chestnut mushrooms.