Tim's Famous Fondue

This one comes in from my best friend's hubby, Tim Rebstock....who is AN AMAZING cook. I'm so proud of my BFF for being able to eat his food and STILL lose 62+ lbs!!! Anyway..... this is a great party idea or for something like New Years Eve..


Swiss cheese fondue, should serve 4 for a main course, or 6 to 8 as an appetizer.

You will want 4 to 6 oz of cheese per person, at least half of this should be Gruyere (an especially strong and somewhat expensive Swiss cheese)

Ingredients8 oz Gruyere8 oz Swiss or Baby Swiss or Elemental or even Gouda1 Garlic clove1 cup white wine (I recommend something dry, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris would be good. It does not have to be the most expensive you can find.)2 to 3 Table spoons Kirsch or Kirschwasser, a type of cherry brandy, it is not sweet. This is not required, but it does make it authentic and give it an extra kick. It can be hard to find.1 tsp. Corn starch2 tsp flourPepper and nutmeg (optional)

For dunking in fondue:1 Baguette, cut into one inch cubesVegetables (broccoli, carrots, etc) cut into bite size chunksFruit (Apples, pears, etc.) cut into bite size chunksHam (medium size cubes)

Pro Tip: for oil or broth fondue, a metal fondue pot works well so that it conducts a lot of heat to the oil. A metal pot does not work well for cheese fondue because it will scorch the cheese in the bottom of the pan. A ceramic pot works better for cheese fondue, or a metal pot with a ceramic coating if that is all you have.

Pro Tip: You will want to serve the fondue as soon as it is ready, so it is best to have all the bread, vegetables, and stuff ready to go before cooking the cheese.

Shred all the cheese with a grater into a bowl.Toss the cheese with the flour and cornstarch.
Cut the garlic clove in half, rub the inside of the pot with the garlic clove. Leave halves of the clove in the pot and add the wine.
Bring the wine to a simmer over medium low heat on the stove. Remove the garlic clove, and add the Kirsch.
While stirring, slowly add about half of the cheese, one small hand full at a time.
Add a small amount of fresh ground pepper and nutmeg (I suggest the pepper, leave out the nutmeg if you wish)
Continue stirring and adding the rest of the cheese, a hand full at a time.
The mixture should come together in a nice thick sauce, as soon as it looks good, serve and eat.

An alternate recipe would be to use cheddar cheese instead of Swiss, and beer instead of the wine. I would also leave out the Kirsch.

Lastly, NEVER EVER put the fork that you use to dip in the cheese in your mouth. It is considered rude, unsanitary and a really good way to burn the heck out of your mouth.

Bon appitite
Tim