The Best Way To Reheat Cheese Fondue For A Silky Smooth Result

It's no secret that wine and cheese are a match made in heaven, with the creamy, rich flavor of the snack perfectly balancing the tasting notes and alcohol content in your drink. Now, while you can stick to creating classic wine and cheese pairings, another way to enjoy these foods in tandem is to make cheese fondue. Cheese fondue is the best of both worlds — a boozy, creamy sauce, perfect for dipping bread, veggies, and other charcuterie board staples.

The only caveat is that fondues can be large, meaning you may not get through the whole thing in one sitting. While charcuterie boards can be packed into baggies and containers to be taken out and eaten later, if you've got leftover fondue, you'll have to reheat it to keep enjoying it.

After a day or two, your fondue may harden, looking more like solid cheese than the gooey, molten mass you're used to. To reheat it and get a smooth, silky dipping sauce, the best way is to use a bain marine, also known as a double boiler.

A bain marie has a few benefits associated with it. For one thing, this cooking method gives you control over the temperature, helping to slow down the heating process. With fondue, this is important because it ensures your dish doesn't get too hot, boil, or split. At the same time, it helps warm your meal evenly without running the risk of burning.

Now, if you're thinking that a bain marie is a lot of work just to warm your fondue back up again and you'd rather pop the cheese in the microwave, there are a few things to keep in mind. For starters, microwaves can alter the texture of your food and give it an unwanted consistency. At the same time, if your fondue gets too hot, it could split or spatter and make a mess in the microwave. If you use the microwave anyway, warm your meal in short bursts, stirring between each session to get it up to temperature and avoid overcooking it.

Even when using the bain marie method, you might find that your fondue doesn't quite take on the same smooth, creamy consistency it had when you first made it. The good news is you can get around this by adding in a little liquid.

Hot water is one easy option to help get a runnier consistency. However, this won't add much in terms of flavor. Another option could be to pour in some wine — you'll get the notes of the alcohol shining through in your dish and bringing out the booze already in the meal. Plus, the liquid can help to create a smoother fondue. Or, you could use a little chicken stock to add some savory flavor back to your cheese. Or, heavy cream or milk could work as an option for a richer meal.

And, if you overshoot and add too much? A bit of grated cheese stirred into the mixture can help it thicken back up. Next time you make cheese fondue, don't feel you have to finish it all in one sitting. Feel free to pop it in the fridge and reheat it at a later date.