Macaroni Fondu

Prep Time: 0:15
Cook Time: 0:15
Serves: 2

Ingredients / Shopping List

150g medium macaroni

Pinch dry English mustard

50g Gruyere

50g Emmental cheese

100ml white wine

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper 

2 tsp cornflour

1 tlsp water

Prep to Cook: 1 large pan, 1 medium sauce pan, measuring jug, basin, wooden spoon, grater, spatula, colander, teaspoon, tablespoon

Prep:  Prep the macaroni

Boil the kettle

Pour boiling water over the macaroni in the big pan and stir

Bring to the boil and simmer for 12 – 15 minutes

Prep the fondu sauce: 

Grate the Emmental cheese putting 10g on one side for topping and do the same for the Gruyere

Fondu sauce:  Put the wine in the pan add grated cheeses saving some for the topping

Put the pan on the hob and bring the heat up gently

Keep stirring the mixture gets hot

Blend cornflour, mustard and water in a small basin

Add to the cheese and wine mixture

Stir rapidly as the sauce thickens 

Prep the dish:

Drain the macaroni through the colander 

Tip into  the sauce and mix well

Grease a serving bowl with margarine

Pour in the macaroni cheese

Sprinkle over the topping

Put under a hot grill for 2 – 3 minutes until the topping is brown and crunchy

Check it out!

Macaroni Fondu is based the on the traditional  mac cheese recipe but made with Swiss Cheese added to the wine based sauce.  This Fondu sauce creates a wonderful Alpine flavour. A lovely non-meat dish that could be served in small pots for a starter or in bigger dishes for main meal.

You can make the sauce any way you wish, here the all-in-one method has been suggested but you can try the ‘roux’ method if you wish, or even use cornflour and make the sauce by the blending method.

Recipe Science

Cooks Know How: Macaroni is a robust pasta made from Durum wheat.  It requires boiling to soften it and make it digestible. As it cooks it absorbs water, swells and also turns a paler colour, the starch is gelatinised.   You can test the macaroni by removing one piece and allowing it to cool.  Use your front teeth to check the ‘bite’ and detect if there is any gritty centre which would indicate it needs more time. The pasta should be ''al dente' which means it is firm enough to hold its shape.   Drain the pasta well because the tubular shape hold water and this needs to drain away to allow space for the tasty sauce.  Making the sauce is all about creating a smooth sauce that is really tasty.  The wine ( or simply use milk) is thickened by the starch from the cornflour.  Remember to boil the sauce so that all the starch is cooked and gelatinised and does not taste raw.  Flavour the sauce with the chosen cheeses.   A spatula is a tool that cleans the sides of a saucepan and helps combine all ingredients thoroughly.  When you make Macaroni Fondu you will be confident to create a luxury flavour meal using a limited number of ingredients.  Under the heat of the grill the cheese turns brown and crisp over the soft moist pasta.  This dish can be made the day before and reheated in the oven, somehow it tastes even better!