This keto cheese fondue is Swiss Gruyere and Emmental melted into dry white wine and bound with a pinch of xanthan gum instead of cornstarch, about 2 grams of net carb a serving. The bread is the only carb in a fondue, so out it goes.
I have always loved cheese, but when I met my husband he opened my eyes to a gigantic new world of cheese. You see, his family on his father's side is Swiss and they take their cheese very seriously. I have always been more of a soft cheese lover. From cream cheese to brie I love it all. My husband and his father are more fond of what I like to call firm stinky cheese like Gruyere and Appenzeller. I have grown to love all forms of cheese, and one of my favorite things to do during the cold winter season is to serve fondue. Most people think of fondue as a huge pile of bread, but I prefer to serve it with some yummy Low Carb options: mini button mushrooms, rotisserie chicken, zucchini slices, cauliflower, and much more. Just because we live a Low Carb Lifestyle doesn't mean we can't have fun with our food.
How the Swiss build a fondue
A traditional fondue is two cheeses, almost always Gruyere and Emmental, melted into dry white wine. There are a couple of small moves that make it taste right. Rub a cut clove of garlic around the inside of the pot before you start, which leaves a whisper of garlic without a clove rolling around in the cheese. Finish with a spoonful of kirsch, the cherry brandy that cuts the richness, and a scrape of nutmeg. I am a purist and prefer this Gruyere-based version, though the pre-made Emmental and Gruyere fondue at Trader Joe's is a fine shortcut on a busy night.
Keep it from breaking without cornstarch
Classic fondue leans on cornstarch to hold the cheese and wine together in one smooth pool. Drop the cornstarch for low carb and you need something in its place, or the fat splits out and the cheese seizes into strings. The fix is a quarter teaspoon of xanthan gum tossed with the grated cheese before it goes in, which binds it the same way with almost no carbs. Two habits keep it smooth from there: keep the heat low and add the cheese in slow handfuls, and use a dry, acidic white wine, because the acid keeps the cheese proteins loose. Stir in a figure-eight rather than a circle so nothing sits still and scorches. It is the centerpiece of my keto cheese guide for a cold night.
Sources:
USDA FoodData Central, nutrient reference for Gruyere and Emmental
Sugarfreechic test kitchen, keto cheese fondue notes
