Something to Save for Cold Evenings, Comte Cheese Fondue from Luke Nguyen's France (Hardie Grant, October 2015). 

This cookbook is companion to SBS TV Serie of same name by Vietnamese-Australian, Sydney based chef Luke Nguyen, of restaurant The Red Lantern which he opened with his sister Pauline.

FONDUE AU FROMAGE DE COMTÉ, COMTÉ CHEESE FONDUE

Comté cheese is a hard cow’s milk cheese, named after the region in which it is produced. To take the stakes to truly decadent, try melting it down and combining with a delicious chardonnay for dipping pieces of crusty bread. You will need a good-size fondue pot for this recipe.

SERVES 4

1 garlic clove, halved

250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) Chardonnay

200 g (7 oz) comté or Swiss gruyère cheese (see glossary),

cut into small cubes

1 baguette, torn into small pieces

Rub the garlic halves around the inside of the fondue pot, to imbue it with flavour and stop the cheese sticking to it.

Pour the wine into the pot and warm over medium heat until simmering. Add the cheese and stir until melted.

Reduce the heat to low and transfer the fondue set to the dining table. Place pieces of baguette on fondue forks,

dip into the melted cheese mixture and eat!

Comte does come from Franche-Comte not neighboring Alsace. Both regions being in Eastern France.

(* Recipe reproduced with permission from Luke Nguyen's France by Luke Nguyen -published by Hardie Grant- October 2015....Photography by Alan Benson and Suzanna Boyd)