Serious Cheese: Super Bowl Beer and Cheese Fondue
If the American flag were to be redesigned in our time, you could make a strong case for ditching the old red, white, and blue in favor of three shades of brown. Indeed, you can't get much more American than beer, cheese, and football. And what better way to bring these pillars of three than with a cheddar and beer fondue you can serve to your hungry guests at your Super Bowl party this weekend.
Beer and cheese have a particularly strong affinity for one another, and many (including me) would argue that the pairing is generally more reliable than one of cheese and wine. There's something about the bready, sweet, and nutty flavor of beer that seems to match well with similar elements in cheese. Combine the two in a fondue and you're in for a real treat.
Super Bowl Beer and Cheese Fondue
- serves 6 -
The following recipe is adapted from Epicurious' Irish Cheddar and Stout Fondue but with all-American ingredients instead. Serve with cubes of crusty bread, nachos, chicken wings, boiled new potatoes, apple slices, or really anything else you can think of.
Ingredients
1 pound Fiscalini Farmstead cheddar, grated (or you can try Ed's economical suggestion from last year: Butler's Rothbury Red)
2 1/2 tablesppons cornstarch or all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (or more) Rogue Shakespeare Stout (or another stout)
6 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Procedure
1. Toss grated cheese with cornstarch/flour in large bowl.
2. Bring 3/4 cup stout, juice concentrate, and mustard to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat.
3. Gradually add cheese (a handful at a time), stirring with a wooden spoon, until cheese is melted and smooth, thinning with more stout if desired. Wait until each handful of cheese melts before adding the next.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and place over an alcohol safety burner set on a table. Adjust the burner flame so the fondue continues to bubble gently. If the fondue boils too vigorously, it may separate or seize up.
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15 Comments:
That picture on the right is killing me - I'm so hungry right now! I know what I'm bringing to the Superbowl party...
Junie at 10:17AM on 01/27/09
Are those baby bottles in that picture?
susanl at 11:22AM on 01/27/09
Jamie could you post where we could get that fondu pot and stand? Thanks.
vi1715 at 11:42AM on 01/27/09
@vi1715, Artisanal carries both. The pot is here: http://www.artisanalcheese.com/prodinfo.asp?number=13602 (and on that page is a link to the stand as well)
Jamie Forrest at 11:44AM on 01/27/09
@vi715, thrift stores like salvation army and savers more often than not have adorable vintage fondue pots+ stands if you need one in a pinch.
RachelDP at 12:57PM on 01/27/09
One thing, for dippers, you might want to make soft pretzels and dip them into the fondue. We did this last super bowl and it was mmmmmmmmmmmmm
Journeywoman at 3:22PM on 01/27/09
Lol I hope those baby bottles in the background are for babies and not some kinda new saucing technique!
The cheese looks phenomenal as do those bright orange fondue pots.
Laura Flowers at 4:54PM on 01/27/09
In terms of American ingredients, you might contemplate a nice bottle of hard cider instead of mixing both the stout and the apple juice concentrate. I know that cheddar and stout have a nice long history, but so does the combination of cheddar and apples.
shoneyjoe at 11:55PM on 01/27/09
i think that pic is taken from the new fondue spot in nyc. they serve wine in the baby bottles
downtownstef at 12:37PM on 01/28/09
La Cave des Fondus, which just opened in NY, is a replica of Le Refuge des Fondus in Montmartre, Paris which has been serving wine in baby bottles since 1966.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/video/2008/apr/24/wine
neensters at 2:10PM on 01/28/09
It is incredible how Fondue just makes a party and how many things are delicious drenched in cheese
NewEnglandFoodie at 3:33PM on 01/28/09
Apple juice and mustard? Interesting additions to the fondue recipe! This looks sooo good. I wish we had a fondue pot so we could serve this on Sunday.
Hillary
Chew on Thata
Chew on That at 4:27PM on 01/28/09
wondering if a casserole dish/stand combo that has a place for two votive candles underneath would work in place of the fondue set? I could make it on the gas stove and then transfer it into that to keep warm for party dipping...
cowprintrabbit at 2:29AM on 01/31/09
erm, make that tea light, not votives...
cowprintrabbit at 2:34AM on 01/31/09
@cowprintrabbit, yes I think that would work fine.
Jamie Forrest at 1:30PM on 02/01/09