Swiss cheese fondue recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb 10 oz (750 g) small red potatoes
• salt
• 14 oz (400 g) vegetables (such as carrots, leeks, parsley root, red beets)
• 3½ oz (100 g) oyster mushrooms
• 1 clove garlic
• 2-3 tablespoons butter
• 3 sprigs thyme

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon preserves
• 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
• ½ cup canola oil
• freshly ground salt and pepper

• 2 lb 3 oz (1 kg) Alpine cheese (such as Appenzeller cheese)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 13½–17 fl oz (400–500 ml) white wine
• Ground mace or freshly grated nutmeg
• 1¼ fl oz (40 ml) kirsch (or to taste)

1. Thoroughly scrub the potatoes and boil for 15–20 minutes in salted water. In the meantime, peel the vegetables, if necessary, and cut into bite-size pieces. Boil the vegetables one after another until al dente. Remove the cooked vegetables and save ½ cup cooking water. Chop the mushrooms into wide strips and crush the unpeeled garlic. Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the mushrooms, thyme, and garlic. Sauté for 4 minutes then season with salt and pepper. Drain the potatoes and let dry.
2. For the dip, mix the lemon juice, lemon preserves, mustard, and ½ cup cooking water then season with salt and pepper. Stir in the canola oil and season to taste. If the dip is too thick, add more cooking water until creamy.
3. For the fondue, remove the cheese rinds and cut the cheese into ¾in (2 cm) cubes. Sprinkle with cornstarch. Melt the cheese with the wine over medium heat, stirring often to bind the fondue. Season with ground mace and kirsch (if using) and allow to simmer. If the fondue becomes too hard, add a bit more wine.
4. Pour the cheese fondue into a fondue pot (such as a caquelon, a stoneware fondue pot often used in Switzerland) and place over a fondue burner. Serve with potatoes, vegetables, mushrooms, and dip. Guests can either dip the sides into the fondue or drizzle some fondue over the sides on individual plates with a bit of dip on the side.