Cheese Fondue: Can Comté Be A Good Option?

Fondue is a serving style where food is dipped into a pot of hot cheese, oil, chocolate, or broth. The best cheese to use for a fondue is the cheese that has always been used to make cheese fondue: Emmenthal. However, as this can be expensive, it is often cut with an equal amount of a less expensive but equally good cheese such as Jarlsberg. Other good options include Gruyère, Comté, Beaufort, Tête de Moine, Hoch Ybrig, Gouda, Appenzeller, Raclette, and Vacherin. A classic Swiss fondue mix calls for half Gruyère and half Vacherin Fribourgeois, also called moitié-moitié.

To make a fondue, you should grate your chosen cheese and toss it with cornstarch. You can then rub the inside of your fondue pot with a clove of garlic before discarding it, adding wine, and bringing it to a boil. Reduce the heat and add your cheese a quarter at a time, stirring until melted. Continue until your fondue is smooth and coats the back of a spoon. Serve with crusty bread, steamed vegetables, sausages, and apple slices.

How to make Comte cheese fondue

How to make Comté Cheese Fondue

Ingredients:

• 1 lb mature Comté (preferably 10-18 months old), shredded
• 2 tbsps corn starch
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsps dry white wine (preferably Jura wine, if possible)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Good quality crusty bread, cut or torn into bite-sized pieces

Optional Dippers:

• Steamed or roasted vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and/or fingerling potatoes)
• Sausages
• Apple slices

Method:

• In a large bowl, toss the shredded Comté and cornstarch until well combined.
• Rub the inside of a fondue pot with the cut sides of the garlic clove. Discard the garlic.
• Add the wine to the pot and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add a quarter of the Comté and stir until melted.
• Continue stirring in the cheese, a quarter at a time, until it is all melted.
• Cook, stirring, until the fondue is completely smooth and richly coats the back of a spoon. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
• Serve the hot fondue with crusty bread for dipping, along with steamed vegetables, sausages, and apple slices, if desired.

What to serve with Comte cheese fondue

Comté cheese fondue is a staple in the Comté region of France and is a delicious, silky, nutty dish that can be served with a variety of sides. Here are some ideas for what to serve with your Comté cheese fondue:

Crusty Bread

A good-quality crusty bread is a classic accompaniment to fondue. Cut a baguette or sourdough loaf into bite-sized cubes, or tear it into pieces for dipping. Bread is the perfect vehicle for scooping up the creamy, nutty Comté cheese.

Steamed or Roasted Vegetables

Vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, asparagus, and fingerling potatoes make excellent dipping options for fondue. They provide a healthy contrast to the rich cheese and can be steamed or roasted to perfection.

Sausages

Garlicky sausage chunks are a tasty addition to the fondue spread. Cooked sliced hot sausages provide a savoury, meaty bite that pairs well with the creamy cheese.

Apples

Slices of raw, crisp apple offer a refreshing contrast to the rich fondue. Tart apple varieties like Granny Smith are especially delicious when dipped into the warm, nutty cheese.

Sweet Potatoes

Roasted sweet potatoes are a sweet and hearty option to serve alongside fondue. They provide a beautiful colour contrast and a slightly sweet flavour profile to the spread.

Bacon

Crispy bacon is a surprising but delicious addition to the fondue experience. It can be served on a plate for guests to enjoy alongside their fondue or mixed directly into the cheese for a smoky, savoury kick.

Pickles

Cornichons, or pickled mini gherkins, are a popular choice to serve with fondue in France and surrounding countries. Their sourness helps cut through the richness of the cheese. Pickled baby corn is also a unique and tasty option.

Salads

A simple green salad can be a refreshing counterpart to the indulgent fondue. A spiky vinaigrette dressing adds a nice touch and balances the flavours of the meal.

Boiled Potatoes

New potatoes, especially boiled and served hot, are commonly served with fondue. Varieties such as Kipfler, fingerling, or even purple potatoes are excellent choices. They can be peeled or unpeeled, and special prongs can be used to hold hot potatoes for dipping.

These suggestions will help elevate your Comté cheese fondue into a delightful and memorable meal for your guests. Enjoy experimenting with different combinations of sides to create a unique and indulgent fondue experience!

What to dip in Comte cheese fondue

Comté cheese fondue is a staple on restaurant menus in the Comté region and makes for a fun, hands-on dinner. But what should you dip in it? Here are some ideas:

Bread

Bread is a classic dipper for cheese fondue and for good reason. Crusty, good-quality bread is perfect for soaking up all that cheesy goodness. Go for a baguette, sourdough, or a French loaf, and cut it into cubes to make it easier to skewer. You could also try toasting the bread, but be warned: this might make it harder to stab with fondue forks!

Fruits and Vegetables

The tangy and creamy combination of cheese and fruit works just as well in fondue as on a cheeseboard. Apples, pears, grapes, avocados, and cherry tomatoes all make excellent fondue dippers. For vegetables, try crunchy bell peppers, asparagus, mushrooms, or green beans for a snappy texture, or opt for steamed veggies like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, or artichoke hearts to emphasise the cheese.

Meat

Meat and cheese is a classic combination, and there are lots of options for meat dippers. Try garlicky sausage, meatballs, salami, prosciutto, chorizo, or even steak! For something a little different, wrap bacon around Brussels sprouts or smoked sausages before dipping them in the fondue.

Other

If you're still wondering what to dip in your Comté cheese fondue, you could try large pasta shapes like shells or rigatoni, roasted baby potatoes, pickles, or even potato chips!

Where to buy Comte cheese

You can buy Comte cheese online from Amazon.com, which offers a range of Comte cheeses, including Comte French Aged Cheese, sold by the pound, and Comte AOC Fort St. Antoine French Cheese.

You can also buy Comte cheese from specialty stores and many supermarkets, such as Whole Foods, Costco, Wegmans, and Shoprite.

Alternatives to Comte cheese for fondue

Yes, you can use Comte cheese in fondue, and it is a very popular option. However, if you are unable to get your hands on Comte cheese, there are several alternatives that you could use instead.

Firstly, Gruyere is a hard cheese that originated in Switzerland. It has a lot in common with Comte; it is nutty and earthy, with a soft, smooth finish. It is also made from special milk from very special cows and covered in a natural, edible rind. As it ages, Gruyere becomes granular, with salt crystals developing a deeper, richer, saltier flavour. A young Gruyere has a nutty flavour and a firm texture, much like Comte, and can be used in dishes that require hard cheese, such as fondue, sandwiches, or quiches.

Secondly, hard cheeses such as Parmesan Reggiano, Romano, Pecorino, Grana Padano, or Asiago can be used as Comte substitutes. Parmesan, Romano, and Pecorino, in particular, have nutty and slightly sweet flavours, similar to Comte. These cheeses can be grated or shaved over pasta, salads, or soups, or eaten on their own.

Thirdly, Beaufort is a semi-hard cheese made in the French Alps with a rich, nutty flavour similar to Comte. It can be used in a variety of dishes or served plain with crusty bread, olives, and cured meats. However, Beaufort cheese can be even trickier to find than Comte.

Lastly, a really good quality Cheddar cheese can also be used as a Comte substitute. Like Comte, classic Cheddar is made from pasteurized cow's milk, so it has the same flavour profile. An aged, high-quality Cheddar cheese will have the same sharp bite as Comte and can be used in similar ways, such as melting or grating.

Other cheeses that can be used in fondue include Fontina, Gouda, Appenzeller, Emmentaler, Raclette, and Vacherin.

Frequently asked questions