R E C I P E S

Fonduta

By Edward Behr

This dish of Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta is the Italian counterpart to the fondue of France and Switzerland. Where fondue is made with Gruyère or other related cheeses, often a mix, fonduta contains Fontina, the preeminent cheese of the Valle d’Aosta. The particular example of Fontina is, ideally, carefully chosen for its flavor. The cheese is combined with milk and eggs, the aim being perfect creaminess, without a hint of stringiness. Some recipes, however, for stability, rely on the apostasy of flour or other starch. The slices of bread for the crostini to go with fonduta used to be fried in butter, but a better contrast comes from simply toasting. White bread is the rule, but part-rye complements Fontina. (The traditional bread of Valle d’Aosta, pan nér, or “black bread,” contains rye.) Fonduta is now often a sauce for vegetables or light meats and used in other nontraditional ways, but the original is superb on its own, a fall comfort food in its home area. In season, white truffles are shaved over fonduta, and some people find it insignificant without them. (They weren’t always costly the way they are now.)

400 gr (14 ounces) Fontina, trimmed of hard edges before weighing

milk

4 egg yolks

a white truffle, optional

crostini, toasted just before serving

Cut the cheese in thin strips, and pour milk over it just to cover. Macerate 2 to 4 hours.

In a bain-marie (a pot set over simmering water), heat the cheese with about half the unabsorbed milk (reserve the rest), and stir as it melts to form a smooth consistency. Stir in the egg yolks, which will at first thin the mixture and then slowly thicken it. If the fonduta seems too thick, stir in a little of the remaining milk. Divide the fonduta among four warm bowls, and, if you have a white truffle, shave it generously over the top. Serve immediately with the crostini. Serves 4.

From issue 103