Smoked Cheese and Beer Fondue with Beer-Simmered Bratwurst, Grilled Bacon, Mushrooms and Rye Bread
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 1713
- Total Fat
- 134
- Saturated Fat
- 51
- Carbohydrates
- 39
- Dietary Fiber
- 5
- Sugar
- 6
- Protein
- 72
- Cholesterol
- 316
- Sodium
- 3363
- Total: 1 hr 35 min
- Prep: 20 min
- Inactive: 30 min
- Cook: 45 min
Ingredients
10 ounces sharp white Cheddar, shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)
6 ounces Gruyere, shredded (about 2 cups)
2 ounces smoked Gruyere or Swiss, shredded
Scant tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup strained cooking liquid from Beer-Simmered Bratwursts, recipe follows
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard, plus more for serving
A few drops hot sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound slab bacon, rind removed, sliced about 1-inch thick
1 pound cremini mushrooms, caps only
1/3 tablespoon canola oil
Six to eight 2-inch-thick slices high-quality German rye bread
Beer-Simmered Bratwurst, recipe follows
Sweet and hot German mustards, for serving
Sweet and hot German mustards, for serving
Beer-Simmered Bratwurst:
6 cups German light ale
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
3 large onions, unpeeled, roughly chopped
2 whole cloves garlic, smashed
One 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
3 pounds precooked bratwurst, pricked with a fork
2 tablespoons canola oil
Directions
Special equipment:
fondue pot and skewers- Preheat a grill for direct grilling. If using charcoal, arrange it so that you have areas of medium-high and low to medium-low heat.
- Combine the cheeses in a large bowl and toss with the cornstarch. Bring the brat cooking liquid to a simmer in a medium saucepan over the higher heat. Add the cheese, a few handfuls at a time, and stir in a figure eight motion with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard and hot sauce and season with salt and pepper if needed. Transfer to a fondue pot and keep warm.
- Place a drip pan under the lower heat side of the grill and put the bacon on the grill. Cook until nicely charred on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter or cutting board.
- Toss the mushroom caps with some of the canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mushroom caps to a grill basket and cook over the higher heat side, tossing occasionally, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.
- Brush the rye bread on both sides with canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the bread over the higher heat side until toasted and slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter or cutting board.
- Cut the bacon, rye bread and Beer-Simmered Bratwurst into chunks. Serve alongside the fondue with the mushrooms and the mustards.
Beer-Simmered Bratwurst:
- Preheat the grill for direct grilling, high heat.
- Combine the beer, caraway, coriander, mustard seeds, onions, garlic and ginger in a large stockpot. Then, add the bratwurst. Place the pot on the grates of the grill and bring to a simmer. Simmer the sausages until half-cooked, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the grill and let the bratwurst sit in the liquid for 30 minutes. Transfer the brats to a platter or cutting board and strain the liquid into a bowl, discard the solids. Reserve the liquid for the fondue.
- Brush the sausages with canola oil and grill until the casings are crisp and golden brown and the sausages are cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Keep warm until serving.