Garlicky Gouda Fondue

Dippy bits: cubes of baguette, baby garlic pickles, sweet pickled onions, charcuterie, boiled waxy potatoes

Special Equipment: fondue pot and skewers or, alternatively, a slow cooker with a warm setting, some forks, and a standard pot for cooking (Note: the inside of fondue pots get notoriously banged up, so be gentle with your slow cooker so as not to scratch the finish)

Prepare your dippy bits. Once the cheese gets going you won’t want to be messing around cutting the bread or laying out the pickles.

Toss the grated cheeses together with the cornstarch so that each shred is just coated. This will help keep the mixture emulsified once heated.

Rub the inside of the fondue pot (or a cooking pot) with the clove of garlic and set the remaining garlic aside. Add the wine to the pot and heat until steamy over medium heat. Make sure it doesn’t come to a boil.

Add the cornstarch-coated cheese one handful at a time and whisk to integrate. Stirring constantly is key here as is keeping the temperature to a medium or else the fondue can split. Keep adding the cheese until it is all blended, then add the lemon juice and kirsch and stir to incorporate.

Double check the seasoning of the cheese mixture at this point, and feel free to adjust with a bit of salt or pepper to taste.

If not using a fondue pot, pour your cheese into the slow cooker (set to warm) and dive in! One note on the slow cooker is that it will carry more heat than the fondue pot, so you’ll have to stir it frequently.