Big Bacony Blue Fondue

This recipe comes from Lenny Rice and Brigid Callinan, authors of Fondue (Ten Speed Press, September 2007).

Pizza Azzurro, a fabulous Napa pizzeria, serves one of the best salads around: a huge wedge of iceberg lettuce doused with creamy blue cheese dressing and scattered with thick bacon chunks, cherry tomatoes, and radishes. We thought this salty, flavorful salad with its special iceberg crunch would also make a swell fondue. Though you can use any creamy blue cheese, we recommend Pt. Reyes Original Blue, made in Marin County, California. Its smooth texture and distinct flavor stand up to the salty bacon and anything you might want to dip in it.

Makes 2 cups

8 tablespoons whole milk or half-and-half
2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
12 ounces Pt. Reyes Original Blue, crumbled

1. Combine 1 tablespoon of the milk and the cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside. Heat a fondue pot over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is crisp, about 8-12 minutes, depending on the bacon’s thickness. Pour off the excess fat and discard or save for another use.

2. Return the pot to the heat and add the remaining milk. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to medium-low; add the cheese and the cornstarch mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cheese is completely melted and the fondue thickens slightly (it will be rather thin). Serve immediately.

Serve with: toasted bread cubes * cherry tomatoes * cucumber sticks * radishes * roasted beets * roasted potatoes * roasted celery root * romaine hearts or chunks of iceberg lettuce * apple chunks * pear chunks * fresh figs, quartered

Beverage suggestions: chenin blanc * ice wine or late-harvest Riesling * fruity sauvignon blanc (light or no oak)