Cheese Fondue (Italian Fonduta alla Valdostana)

In the Aosta Valley, Fontina cheese is used liberally in cooking - something this fonduta (fondue) recipe captures perfectly. Melted into a stringy, oozy sauce and enriched with egg yolks, it's a dish that showcases northern Italian alpine cooking perfectly. We tend to think of fondue as a very Swiss thing, but in the mountains of Valle d'Aosta, fonduta reigns supreme. Made with the famous local cheese Fontina, the valley's take on fondue is simple but incredibly delicious. Traditionally it is served with nothing more than bread for dipping, but other ingredients such as potatoes, steamed green vegetables and even pickles pair beautifully with the rich cheese sauce. If you can't find Fontina, you can use another northern Italian cheese (such as Taleggio or Toma) or alpine cheeses such as Emmental - although this does mean the dish loses its unique Aostan flavour. To enjoy your exquisite cheese fondue, you need a special electric fondue set or one with an alcohol stove because it's essential that the fondue does not cool down and keeps costant its temperature and its consistency.

14 oz fontina cheese, rind removed (400 g)
1 cup whole milk (250 mL)
kosher or sea salt
black pepper, freshly cracked
4 medium egg yolks
1.8 oz butter (50 g)

To Serve:
toasted bread cut into cubes

Dice the fontina and put it in the upper half of a double boiler with the milk; season the mixture with a pinch of salt and pepper. Let it sit for about an hour. Then heat it gently, stirring with a whip, until you obtain a dense, cheesy cream.

At this point incorporate the yolks, one at a time, whisking constantly. Then add the butter to the fonduta (fundue). 

Whisk until you have the desired consistency. Transfer to a fondue pot and keep on low while serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Cook's Notes: Traditionally Italians place the cheese in a bowl and pour the milk over it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (if you don’t have to cook the fondue right away the same day, you can keep the fontina cheese in the milk overnight). In this way the milk absorbs the flavour of the cheese and the cheese will be creamier when cooked.