Taleggio Fondue Recipes

Steps:

• Rub a heavy bottomed saucepan with garlic, add the wine and Grappa and heat over moderately high heat, being careful not to let boil. Reduce by 3/4. Have all ingredients measured and close by, as you will need to stir with one hand and add cheese with the other. When wine starts to show small, tiny bubbles, but is not yet boiling , gradually add cheese while stirring constantly. When you start to feel a slight resistance to the spoon, add heavy cream to desired consistency, and the Balsamic vinegar. Continue to cook until the fondue begins to thicken. Add to taste nutmeg, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Quickly transfer to a fondue pot.
• Classically, fondue is served with fresh fruit, nuts, and crusty French bread.
• For the Italian Fondue, it might be fun to serve an antipasto dish, breadsticks wrapped with proscuitto, sun-dried tomatoes, or even left over vegetables like asparagus and broccoli.

Steps:

• Cut the rind off the taleggio and discard. Dice the cheese into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside at room temperature as you prepare the rice.
• Line a colander with a clean dish towel and place spinach inside. Heat about 8 cups of water until boiling, then pour over spinach; the spinach will wilt. Let spinach sit until cool enough to handle, then use the dish towel to squeeze out the water. Transfer spinach to a food processor and blend with 1 tablespoon butter until smooth. (You'll end up with about 1 cup of purée.) Reserve.
• Melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, celery and garlic; cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in rice and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook until toasted and golden, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in wine and cook until it's absorbed, about 3 minutes. Stir in stock, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring often but not necessarily continuously, until the stock is finished and the rice is cooked through but not mushy, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Stir in spinach purée, then taste and add more salt, if needed. Add taleggio and stir to melt. Serve immediately.