Silky Havarti Fondue

Ingredients:

1/2 pound Havarti
1/2 pound Camembert cheese
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup white wine
3 tablespoons apple cider
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and ground white pepper to taste
4 cups sourdough bread cubes
2 cups blanched cauliflower florets
2 cups blanched broccoli florets
2 cups blanched small carrots
2 cups fresh celery stalk pieces


Preparation:

  • Blanch broccoli and cauliflower in boiling salted water until tender crisp (about 5 to 6 minutes). Drain and refresh under cold water until completely cool. Arrange on platter.
  • Blanch  small carrots in boiling salted water until tender crisp (8 to 10 minutes). Drain and refresh under cold water and arrange on platter.
  • Wash celery stalks, drain, cut into 1" pieces and arrange on platter.
  • Remove and discard rind from Camembert and shred Havarti. Place in large bowl, add cornstarch and toss until well combined. Set aside.
  • In saucepan, heat wine, apple cider and garlic until just beginning to boil.
  • Remove garlic and reduce heat to medium.
  • Stirring constantly with wooden spoon, add spoonfuls of cheese, one at a time, to wine mixture, stirring until each addition starts to bubble.
  • Add lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Transfer cheese mixture to fondue pot over low flame.
  • Serve with sourdough cubes and prepared vegetables.

Makes 6 servings.


Real Cooking
Did You Know?
Havarti is a semi-soft Danish cow's milk table cheese that can be sliced, grilled, or melted. It was initially created by Hanne Nielsen who operated an experimental farm called Havarthigaard, in Øverød, north of Copenhagen, in the mid-19th century. Havarti is made like most cheeses, by introducing rennet to milk to cause curdling. The curds are pressed into cheese molds which are drained, and then the cheese is aged. Havarti is a washed curd cheese, which contributes to the subtle flavor of the cheese.

Havarti is an interior-ripened cheese that is rindless, smooth and slightly bright-surfaced with a cream to yellow color depending on type. It has very small and irregular openings ("eyes") distributed in the mass. It has a buttery aroma and can be somewhat sharp in the stronger varieties, much like Swiss cheese. The taste can vary from somewhat sweet to very sweet, and it is slightly acidic. It is typically aged about three months, though when the cheese is older it becomes more salty and tastes like hazelnut. When left at room temperature the cheese tends to soften quickly. Flavored variants of Havarti are also available, such as cranberry, garlic, caraway, dill, basil, coconut, and jalapeño.

Havarti is popularly matched with lesser-oaked Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or light-bodied Pinot Noir wine and occasionally accompanied with figs; smoked turkey; raisins; walnuts; hearty bread; pears; apples. The cheese also is an excellent snack on thin water crackers.