Judgement Dave blog

This creamy tangy goodness is to men what chocolate is to women, inducing cravings if not eaten regularly. Not only is it deliciously addictive, it is also classless and accessible, like tea.

Large sums of money can be lavished on a quality selection of continental cheeses, accompanied by grapes, biscuits and fine wines. But equally good is cheap cheddar, melted under the grill on a couple slices of white bread. Cheese can be enjoyed by anyone, and quite frankly if you don’t like cheese, you don’t like life.

There is a legend about the origins of cheese: around 5000 years ago an Arabian trader put milk in a freshly killed sheep’s stomach for storage. He wasn’t a sicko; that was the way they carried liquid at the time. Later that day he went to drink his milk, and found that large lumpy bits had formed in it. Now, if my milk is anything like that, it’s time for the bin, but luckily our friend wasn’t so fussy and gurgled it down. A smile slowly spread across his face, as his brain registered the tangy flavour of freshly formed cheese.

Nowadays cheesemakers use an enzyme called rennet to separate the solid curds from the liquid whey. The whey is discarded and the curds are then pressed into moulds and left to mature, and hey presto you have cheese. The wide variety of textures and flavors are created by using different types of milk, different maturing periods and smoking, salting and adding a multitude of other flavorings.

Picking a favorite cheese recipe is like trying to name your all time favorite song. There are too many contenders, and it is very dependent on mood. I have gone for a fondue recipe because it celebrates cheese by placing it firmly at the centre of the dish.

You could buy fondue set, or you could just use a saucepan and place it in the middle of the table, and return it to the heat frequently to keep it molten. It’s a great dish for winter dinner parties, where you and your guests can gather round the pot and dunk your bread in the bubbling goo.

Serves: 4-6
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 10 min

Ingredients
- 1 clove Garlic, halved
- 500ml dry white wine
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 230g Emmenthal cheese, grated
- 230g Gruyere Cheese, grated
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 3 tbsp peach schnapps
- salt and white pepper, to taste
- Nutmeg, to taste
To serve
crusty bread, cut into bite-sized cubes
boiled or steamed cauliflower Broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces


Method

1. Rub the inside of the fondue pot with the garlic clove and discard the garlic.

2. Add wine and lemon juice to the pot and bring just to a simmer over moderate heat. Do not boil.

3. Gradually add the cheese to the pot and cook, stirring constantly in a zigzag pattern (not a circular motion) to prevent cheese from balling up, until cheese is just melted and creamy. Make sure the mixture does not boil.

4. Stir the flour and peach schnapps together in a cup and then slowly add o the fondue and stir. Add salt, white pepper and nutmeg to taste.

5. Bring the fondue to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, for 5 to 8 minutes. If the fondue is too loose add more cheese, if it is too stiff add more wine.

6. Transfer to a fondue pot set over a flame and serve with bread and vegetables for dipping.