It’s a soft and savory way to get people together at the holidays! At Cobblestones in Lowell, Chef Rob Jean has come up with a perfect dish to get your guests involved; an artisan skillet fondue.
The Dish: Artisan Cheese Skillet Fondue
The Restaurant: Cobblestones
The Chef: Rob Jean
Ingredients
*All measurements are by weight
-16oz sliced fontina cheese*
-5oz quality beef broth (preferably homemade)
-5 cloves garlic, sliced
-4oz sliced salami or soppresatta**
-2 sprigs fresh thyme
-1 small French baguette
-4oz olive oil
Method
-Preheat oven to 400°F
-Lightly toast the sliced garlic in 1oz of olive oil over medium low heat until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 3-4 minutes total, then remove from heat
-Pour the beef broth into a 16-inch iron skillet, or in a shallow casserole dish
-Lay the sliced cheese over the broth to cover the bottom of the skillet
-Spoon toasted garlic over cheese
-Sprinkle salami over cheese and garlic
-Remove thyme leaves from stem and sprinkle over the top
-Meanwhile, tear the baguette into 1.5 inch pieces (it doesn’t have to be perfect, but you want them to be a good size for fondue-ing!)
-On a large baking sheet, toss the baguette pieces with the remaining 3oz of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste
-Bake the skillet on the middle rack until cheese has melted, about 15-20 minutes total
-About halfway through baking the fondue, add the baking sheet with the bread to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes total
-Carefully remove both the fondue and the bread and serve immediately
Enjoy!