Cheese Fondue, Neufchatel Style

Ari Rapkin

2.5 cups imported Swiss cheeses (Try a mix of about 2 parts Emmentaler to 1 part Gruyere)
1.5 tablespoons flour
1 clove garlic
1 cup dry white wine
1 jigger Kirsch
Salt, Pepper, Nutmeg
French bread cut into big mouthfuls

The cheese should be shredded or grated coarsely and mixed well with the flour. Use a chafing dish for cooking and a small heated casserole for serving. Rub the bottom and sides of the blazer well with garlic, pour in the wine and heat to bubbling, just under boiling. Add cheese slowly, half a cup at a time, and stir steadily in one direction only, as in making Welsh Rabbit. Use a silver fork. Season with very little salt, always depending on how salty the cheese is, but use plenty of black pepper, freshly ground, and a touch of nutmeg. Then pour in the Kirsch, stir steadily and invite guests to dunk their forked bread in the dish or in a smaller preheated casserole over a low electric or alcohol burner on the dining table. The trick is to keep the bubbling melted cheese in rhythmic motion with the fork, both up and down and around and around.

From the Dinner Co-op