Lumpy Cheese Fondue | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

FAQs

Lumpy Cheese Fondue | Ask Nigella.com? ›

If the fondue has been over-cooked and the cheese is turning into hard lumps then adding a teaspoon or two of lemon juice should help to restore the texture. If the cheese has split and looks greasy but not lumpy then adding extra cornflour (cornstarch) will help to re-emulsify the mixture.

Whatever the case, you need to fix your fondue fast. Do so by creating a slurry consisting of ¼ cup (60 ml) cold white wine and three tablespoons of cornstarch. (This is good for about 1 ½ pounds/650 grams of grated cheese.) Once combined, whisk it into your sauce little by little until it finally comes together.

Wine and Acidity

Wine is one of fondue's few essential ingredients, and its importance goes beyond just flavor: the natural tartaric acid in wine prevents the cheese's casein proteins from clumping together and turning the fondue into a stringy, broken mess.

The cornstarch protects the proteins and the fat in the cheese from breaking down and becoming clumpy and lumpy. Some recipes use flour, but I think that changes the taste of the fondue, making it more starchy. That being said, if you don't have cornstarch you can substitute flour. Thirdly, keep the heat low.

Adding a little cornstarch also helps bind the cheese with the liquid. Either add 1 tablespoon for each pound of grated cheese at the beginning or blend 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in with a little kirsch once the cheese is melted. Since fondue toughens as it sits, don't make it wait. And do savor that first bite.

Adding an acid such as a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice or white wine and whisking like the Hounds of Hell are snapping at your fingers may emulsify the fat molecules back into the sauce while detangling the protein molecules that have merrily clumped into unappetizing grainy clusters.

Fondue rules

You must not double dip, and never put your fork directly into your mouth.

One of the most common ways to help cheese melt smoothly is to add starch: this is a process that works in sauces like mornay, or nacho cheese sauce. Starches and other thickeners will physically impede fat molecules from joining up into larger droplets, as well as making the water phase of the cheese more viscous.

But Not Too Much Heat: The thing is, once cheese is heated too far beyond its melting point, the proteins firm up and squeeze out moisture—the same way protein does in meat. When this occurs you're left with rubbery, clumpy bits of cheese protein that separate from the fat and moisture.

Usually fondue fuel is methyl hydrate, also known as methanol, methyl alcohol, or wood alcohol. Most fondue burners have a fiberglass batting inside them to soak the alcohol up and act like a wick, you do not want to overfill the burner because you do not want to spill burning alcohol and start a fire.

Why do you put alcohol in cheese fondue? ›

The fondue pot, caquelon, absorbs some of the direct heat and lets the cheese melt at the correct temperature. The more aged the cheese, the better it melts, and the addition of acid in the form of wine and lemon juice keeps the proteins apart and helps the cheese melt evenly.

Add the chopped shallots to the frying pan and cook them gently for around 5 to 10 minutes with a pinch of salt and pepper and the herbs. Once they've softened, but not coloured, add them to the bowl with the cider and all of the cheese. Leave the cheese to slowly melt down, only stirring now and then to help it along.

Best Cheese for Fondue

This fondue recipe calls for Gruyère and Swiss cheeses because they're creamy, buttery, and melt smoothly. Other good choices include Gouda, fontina, and Emmental.

The all-too-familiar oiliness when heating cheese is due to fat leaking out of the weakened protein structure. To avoid this, “We have to use some chemical trickery to keep the fat in the cheese.”

A cheese fondue mixture should be kept warm enough to keep the fondue smooth and liquid but not so hot that it burns. If this temperature is held until the fondue is finished there will be a thin crust of toasted (not burnt) cheese at the bottom of the caquelon. This is called la religieuse (French for the nun).

If the fondue has been over-cooked and the cheese is turning into hard lumps then adding a teaspoon or two of lemon juice should help to restore the texture. If the cheese has split and looks greasy but not lumpy then adding extra cornflour (cornstarch) will help to re-emulsify the mixture.

But Not Too Much Heat: The thing is, once cheese is heated too far beyond its melting point, the proteins firm up and squeeze out moisture—the same way protein does in meat. When this occurs you're left with rubbery, clumpy bits of cheese protein that separate from the fat and moisture.

And if it still clumps because you added the cheese too fast, you can add something acidic, like a little white wine or lemon juice. Whisk well and the clumps should dissolve.

A: "Your ratios—from your roux to the fat content in the cheeses that you're using—may be a little off," Rach says. "You also just may be overcooking it."