Does anything remind you of a ski holiday more than one of those alpine speciality dishes, loaded with cholestorol boosting cheese and accompanied by jugs of wine?
It's a traditional part of your stay - at least once you'll be going to the typical chalet restaurant to partake in surely what must be one of the most sociable meals ever. So why not have a pre-season fondue party to get you in the mood. Here's a recipe from an old Savoyard sage.
Fondue Savoyarde
You'll need:
Cheese - approx 200g per person, grated. The types of cheese you use will vary according to region but as a general rule use 3 varieties of hard cheese, one of which should ideally be Swiss. Our favourites are Comté, Beaufort and Swiss Gruyere. (Swiss Fribourg is also a good one to use).
Wine - a dry white wine. A good tip is to use a cheap dry sparkling wine - Ayze for example. Sparkling wine lightens the texture a little. Use one wine glass per person plus one for the pot.
1 small clove garlic, some nutmeg, a small knob of butter and dijon mustard.
What to do:
Crush the garlic. Melt the butter in the fondue pot and add the garlic to soften. It's best to start off with the fondue pot on the hob - so that the initial cooking will be quicker. Once the cheese has melted it can then be transferred to the burner on your table. Ceramic or cast iron pots are best, particularly for cheese fondues.
When the butter is foaming add a small teaspoon of dijon mustard and stir. Then add the wine. Do not be tempted to add too much wine. Use a small wine glass to measure. Let the wine heat through and bubble.
Once the wine has been warmed through start adding the cheese. Do this gradually and stir with a wooden spoon in a figure of eight to combine the cheeses. Once the cheese has all been added keep stirring in a figure of eight, add a little grated nutmeg and a splash of Kirsch or a similar strong alcohol. Once you are sure that the cheese has all melted transfer the pot to the burner.
Traditionally no thickening agents, such as cornflour, were used , and if you keep to the proportions mentioned you shouldn't need to thicken it. It's very tempting to add more wine at the beginning but don't, you can always add more later if you need to.
You can also add dried mushrooms - soak them first in hot water for 10 minutes, drain and throw into the fondue pot once all the cheese is melted. Use just a small handful.
Serve with cubes of stale bread. Green salad and a plate of sliced hams and smoked sausage are good accompaniments.