West-Country Fondue

Until quite recently my lovely sister was living in Switzerland. Trips to see her are always a joy, not just for her wonderful company but also for her brilliant cooking. One dish she served us last time we were there was fondue and my girls were so impressed with 'Aunty Mandy's Cheese Soup' that I resolved to make it for them at home. This is not her recipe, I forgot to take it and to be honest this really isn't a Swiss fondue, it is a West Country fondue. Why West Country? Because it contains one of my all time favourite cheeses - Ilchester Applewood.  It's a lightly smoked farmhouse cheddar from Somerset. It's quite soft and 'bendy' as Cheddar goes but it is packed full of flavour and my family love it. Most importantly this cheese likes to go stringy when heated!

Who can eat this?

Children, this fondue contains no alcohol (but under constant supervision as a naked flame is involved). Wheat and gluten intolerant but not all coeliacs as it is so high in dairy. It has no egg, no cream and no nuts. It's also vegetarian.

Who can't eat this?

Anyone dairy intolerant (which includes some coeliacs - ask first!), it's not for vegans, or for anyone on a low calorie diet.

Before we go any further...

Before you make the fondue you will need to think about what you are going to put on the ends of those little forks. Applewood goes really well with fruit: grapes, chunks of apples (I find really tart ones best) even pineapple pieces work well. Many vegetables also work nicely if they are lightly steamed: cauliflower  and broccoli florets, chunks of carrot, sweet potato or just regular potato. Pickled onions and gherkins can also be nice but watch the ingredients and steer clear of malt vinegar. We obviously don't use wheat bread as that be very bad for my husband and we tend not to use gluten free bread either as otherwise we wont get any fruit or vegetables into the girls.

Ingredients for the fondue

2 x 185g packets of Ilchester Applewood
190g of Swiss Gruyere
6 teaspoons of maize starch (often sold as cornflour though in the UK 'cornflour' can contain wheat so check your ingredients).
approximately 300mls of unsweetened apple juice
1 tablespoon of cider vinegar (or white/distilled vinegar if you don't have this)
2 cloves of garlic (optional)

Start by grating your cheese into a large bowl. Every half -packet stop and add a teaspoon of maize starch, and give a gentle mix so that every bit of cheese is coated in the fine flour. Mix it all well at the end so there are no clumps and the Gruyere is evenly spread through.
Now in a large saucepan start heating your apple juice, cider vinegar and garlic (if you are using it).  Don't skip the vinegar it's the acidity that makes the fondue stringy.
As it starts to boil drop in a handful of the cheese mixture and stir like crazy until it has all melted. Reduce the heat to a point where the mixture is simmering but no so hot as to 'catch' on the bottom of the pan and keep adding the cheese a handful at a time. If the mixture gets too stiff add more apple juice.
When all the cheese has melted transfer the mixture to your favourite fondue pot and light the fuel.
Serve with your chosen fruit and vegetables and a nice glass of chilled cider if required!

We love this dish. It's so tangy and smokey and it's great fun to eat. In fact it's so much fun and so exciting that I keep forgetting to take pictures so all I can show you is the empty pot - sorry!