Moité – Moité Fondue

Submitted by Crowded Earth Kitchen

"Moité – moité means “half and half,” and refers to the blend of two cheeses found in many Swiss fondues. Typically, the two cheeses are Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois, although Emmentaler (a high quality version of the medium-hard, hole filled “Swiss” cheese) is sometimes paired with the Gruyère instead. A few notes on Swiss fondue. First, cheese fondue is the only “traditional” Swiss fondue, and is served with cubed bread – only – for dipping. If you find yourself in a Swiss restaurant which serves chocolate fondue, or offers all sorts of weird things to dip in cheese fondue, you have wandered into a tourist trap! Second, fondue is traditionally served as the main course in Switzerland. Don’t fill up on appetizers… fondue is a hearty dish! Third, if you are looking for a quiet, serene dinner, a fondue restaurant may not be the place for you. I enjoyed the rhythmic chopping of bread cubes and whistle of steamers cleaning fondue pots, but be aware that the ambiance is quite lively. In the recipe I’ve created for you below, I am using Wisconsin cheeses. I’m all for authentic ingredients, but truly, there are plenty of Wisconsin cheeses produced using Old World methods that can hold their own against cheeses shipped from Europe. I am also including mushrooms, which compliment fondue beautifully. If you don’t like mushrooms, just leave them out."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 6
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1 garlic clove
• 6 cremini mushrooms, finely diced
• 1⁄2 lb of grated wisconsin baby swiss cheese
• 1 triangle of laughing cow creamy swiss cheese (it helps with with texture)
• 1⁄2 lb of grated wisconsin grand cru gruyere cheese
• 1 cup of california sauvignon blanc wine

directions

1. Step 1) Cut garlic clove in half and rub bottom of sauté pan. Discard garlic.
2. Step 2) Add diced mushrooms and 1 tablespoon of the wine. Sauté for about 3 minutes, or until mushrooms give up their liquid.
3. Step 3) Add all three cheeses to the pan and melt over low-medium heat with constant stirring. Add the wine, a little at a time, to keep the cheese mixture thin enough to stir without clumping together.
4. Step 4) Taste, adding a sprinkle of sea salt if necessary.
5. Step 5) When mixture has melted completely, transfer to a fondue pot. Serve immediately with cubed French bread and long dipping forks. Enjoy!