Fondue Fans: Find Fontina Fairly Fabulous?

[WhyNot]

OK, I don’t need fabulous, merely good, but that’s not alliterative. And if there’s one thing AB has taught me, it’s that carefully crafted culinary catchphrases are important!

Anyhow, we stopped at a cheese shop in Wisconsin (it’s mandatory, like getting malaria in Nigeria) and picked up a block of “Swedish Style Fontina.” This isn’t an aged crumbly Italian cheese, but a soft cheese labeled “good for melting”. Having a crusty loaf of bread on hand, of course fondue is an obvious dinner.

My normal fondue recipe calls for white wine, a rub of garlic, and lots of Jarlsberg swiss. I’m a bit out of my element with Fontina. Any tips? I notice most of the online recipes I’m finding (and there aren’t many) skip the alcohol in favor of milk or cream. Is Fontina tangy enough on its own, then?
(Oh, we also got a block of 9 year aged cheddar. OMG. I don’t think I need men anymore.)

[Shayna]

Sorry I can’t help with Fontina - we mostly use Gruyère, raclette and Emmentaler, but I lurrrrrrrrrrves me some cheese fondue, so I thought I’d throw in some things we like to do with ours.

Finely chop an onion and sauté in butter until translucent. Add thinly sliced mushrooms and continue sautéing for 5 minutes. Mix in 1/2 bunch of finely chopped parsley, add salt and pepper and incorporate into whatever cheese fondue recipe you use.

We also like to wrap some of our crusty bread cubes with a thin strip of prosciutto.

Mmmmmm.

Hope you enjoy whatever you come up with.

[Hunter_Hawk]

What on earth is “Swedish Style Fontina”?

[Shayna]

@Hunter_Hawk

What on earth is “Swedish Style Fontina”?

Hope this helps:

**Fontina
Fon-tee´-nah

Heritage:** Fontina originated in Italy in 1477 in the mountainous Val d’Aosta region near the Swiss border. It was named Fontina d’Aosta for Mont Fontin and the nearby village of Fontinaz. Fontina is considered to be one of the most versatile cheeses in the world because it is excellent as both a table cheese and a cooking cheese. Fontina has been copied often; the most notable versions are the Italian-style, Swedish-style and Danish-style. Today, Wisconsin cheesemakers produce all three varieties. Description: [ul]
[li]Danish-style: slightly tart, nutty, mild earthy flavor; mellow to sharp depending on age. Red wax, rounded corners.[/li][li]Swedish-style: slightly tart, nutty, mild earthy flavor; mellow to sharp depending on age. Red wax, straight corners.[/li][li]**Italian-style: **mild, earthy, buttery flavor. Smooth, supple texture with tiny holes. Brown coating. Slice for sandwiches, snacks; shred for baked, cooked dishes.[/li][/ul]
Appearance: [ul]
[li]Danish-style: Pale ivory to light straw yellow, red wax coating, slightly rounded corners.[/li][li]Italian-style: Ivory to pale gold, both rindless and brown coating.[/li][li]Swedish-style: Pale ivory to light straw yellow, red wax coating, straight corners.[/li][/ul]
Texture:

Smooth, supple with tiny holes, semi-soft, slightly creamy

Flavor: [ul]
[li]Danish-style and Swedish-style: slightly tart, tangy, nutty, light earthy flavor; mellow to sharp depending on age.[/li][li]Italian-style: mild, earthy, buttery.[/li][/ul] http://chef2chef.net/news/club/vol11/v11-002-foodservice-daily.htm

[Shayna]

By the way, WhyNot, that information originally came from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, which also has this to say. . .

Wisconsin Cheese from The Cheese State ! We Dream in Cheese | Wisconsin Cheese

Serving Suggestions
Serve Fontina for breakfast with fruit and breads or use in egg dishes, crepes, fondue and Raclette applications. Add shredded Fontina to the crust of your next apple pie or add it to dough for cheese breads. Layer slices of Fontina between slices of polenta drizzled with marinara sauce; bake until cheese melts and the dish is heated through. Excellent in Focaccia sandwiches layered with pesto, roasted red peppers and Italian salami; serve hot or cold. Layer slices of Fontina with mild copa or wine salami and roasted red peppers on a panini, then grill.

Goes Well With
Veal, prosciutto, Genoa salami, crusty bread, peaches, melons, figs, nectarines Fruity wines; light reds like Gamay Beaujolais or Pinot Noir; whites like Riesling or Gewurztraminer

[Hunter_Hawk]

@Shayna

Hope this helps:

Hunh. Thanks for the info. I’d thought “Fontina” was one of those protected/AOC terms, but I guess not.

[ShibbOleth]

Based on what I know about fondue and fontina, I would sub the fontina for the Emmenthaler (or Jarlsberg, in your case). Then you can keep the rest of the recipe the same.