Tuesday, January 26, 2010
La Vraie Fodue Savoyarde
This is the recipe we at the Boston Cheese Cellar use and give out when people ask for one. It was given to us by a real Frenchman, husband to one of the shop's employees. We featured it the other day at Kitchen Arts for our cheese event.
You will need:
A day old baguette or two cut into cubes. (Any crusty artisan bread will work fairly well)
1 clove of garlic
1 1/4 cups dry white wine (Apremont, Abymes or Roussette are the top recommendations but any will work)
1/2 lb Gruyere cheese, grated
1/2 lb Emmenthaler cheese, grated
1 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs kirsch (this is a cherry flavored liqueur commonly available at liquor stores, i have substituted sweet cooking wines in the past and that has worked well, but the kirch really adds a certain sweetness that really pulls it all together)
a pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
- Peel and half the garlic and rub the interior of the fondue pot with it.
- Discard the garlic, add the wine to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Add the grated cheeses and nutmeg.
- Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the cheese is melted. (At this point the cheese and wine will still be separated.)
- Mix together the kirsch and cornstarch and stir into the cheese mixture. Continue to stir and simmer until the mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes.
- Season to your taste with salt and pepper. If the fondue is too thick, add another 1/4 cup of wine.
- Transfer the fondue pot from the stove to its stand and adjust the flame to medium.
- Spear your bread cubes, stir into the cheese mixture, eat and enjoy.
- When you reach the end of the pot and the cheese residue begins to harden, you can crack and egg in the pot, stir everything together and finish the meal with a savory fondue omelet.
The ease of making this recipe is only rivaled by the sheer deliciousness of it all.
I would recommend you definitely try it as directed your first time through, then try some experimentation. Instead of just Gruyere and Emmenthaler play with the amounts and add a third cheese such as Comte or Sharfe Maxx. Instead of nutmeg try a pinch of chili powder. Or try adding a small amount of butter to the pot after you've rubbed it with the garlic and throw in a pinch of herbs de provence and once it's all aromatic add the wine.
As I like to say: Your own imagination is your only limitation.
-Stroud out.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Beef and Beer Stew topped with a Fried Potato Nest.
I made this a few weeks ago, it ended up being more of an exercise in the artistic side, as it didn't really turn out as well as I had hoped... a little too salty. But they're kinda pretty.No recipe because I don't actually remember what I put in it besides beef, beer, onions and peas (and of course the potatoes on top). I can tell you I used a nicely marbled chuck steak which I cut into pieces and a bottle of Guiness stout... I wanted one of the draught cans but I would have had to go all the way to Blanchards to get it.