The idea of eating a meal centered around a hot pot of cheese is basically irresistible to me. That makes it sort of odd that I had never tried cheese fondue before this week. I’ve done chocolate fondue (I got a fondue pot from my dear friend Christina a few years ago, but conveniently left it at my parents’ house), but never got around to the good stuff. I saw a recipe in Everyday with Rachael Ray and decided it was a must.

The fondue was fairly simple. My only advice is to watch the wine while it’s boiling – I had a nice little fire going as the alcohol burned away on my gas stove. It’s also extremely tasty. I was very impressed.
Rachael’s recipe recommended roasted potatoes for dipping. I didn’t have baking potatoes, but I did have little Yukon Gold potatoes, which were a great substitute.

I think Rachael’s intention with the baking potatoes was so you could dip the long spears directly into the fondue. We were using skewers anyway, so these little quarters worked out better.

I couldn’t go with just the potatoes, so I picked up some other dip-able items at the store. We dipped apples, crusty roasted garlic bread, and sweet apple chicken sausages. Nick’s favorite dipping item was the sausage, mine was the bread. We could not get enough.

If you’ve never tried fondue, you have to! You don’t need a fondue pot, you don’t need skewers.. it’s very adaptable. If you don’t want to cook it yourself, come to my house and I’ll make it for you. And that’s a promise.

Gruyere Cheese Fondue with Roasted Potatoes
*Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray, Dec/Jan ’09

serves 4-6 (if you’re lucky!)
prep: 15 minutes
cook: 25-35 minutes

1 1/4 lbs small potatoes, any type, sliced into quarters
2 tbs vegetable/olive oil
salt and pepper
12oz gruyere cheese, shredded (usually, you can’t find gruyere pre-shredded, so check the deli section for blocks. and don’t forget to trim off the rind!)
1 tbs plus 2 tsp cornstarch
1 garlic clove, halved
1 cup plus 2 tbs dry white wine
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 pinch ground nutmeg
*other recommendations for dipping: apples, crusty bread, sausage, etc.

1. preheat the oven to 450. toss the potatoes with the oil. season generously with salt and pepper. arrange in a single layer on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. roast, turning once, until browned and slightly crisp, about 25-35 minutes.

2. in a medium bowl, mix cheese and cornstarch. rub the cut sides of the garlic on the inside of a fondue pot or heavy saucepan, discard garlic. add wine and lemon juice to the pot, bring to a boil over medium heat. cook 1 minute. gradually mix in the cheese, then cook for 1 minute. stir in nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. serve warm with potatoes for dipping.