Don’t have a fondue pot? Make this delicious Swiss cheese on toast instead with the same ingredients used for fondue (except a little less wine). Chässchnitte is served all over Switzerland in one form or another. As with fondue, the ingredients vary slightly from canton to canton and cook to cook; sometimes the bread is dipped in white wine and topped with cheese, other times the wine is dissolved into the cheese as I’m doing here. Sometimes it’s grilled in the oven, sometimes fried in a pan on the stove top – then mustard is often spread on the bread under the cheese topping and it’s called brätkäse as it’s cooked in a brätpfanne (frying pan). The same beverage rules apply to chässchnitte as to fondue: drink crisp white wine, schnapps or black tea to help digest all this cheese (never beer or water). I love the fumé blanc from Swiss-born winemaker Matthias Utzinger, now in Tasmania, it seems appropriate! Serve with a salad, like the nüsslisalat pictured.

Serves 2–4

Ingredients
  • 1 demi-baguette
  • 1 teaspoon cornflour
  • ½ cup dry white wine (125ml)
  • 300g Gruyère, grated (10½oz)
  • Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
  • Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
  • Green salad, for serving
Method
  1. Cut baguette into halves lengthways, then cut each half crossways to give 4 pieces in total.
  2. Place on a chopping board cut side down and press gently with the heel of your hand to flatten them slightly, exposing more surface area.
  3. Place on a baking paper lined baking tray, cut side up.
  4. Dissolve the cornflour in 2 tablespoons (40ml) of the wine and set aside.
  5. Place cheese and remaining wine in a small, heavy-based saucepan, place over a low heat and stir until the cheese has melted.
  6. Stir in pepper and nutmeg then add cornflour mixture.
  7. Stir vigorously until well combined and smooth. Set aside to cool a little.
  8. Meanwhile, heat an overhead grill to high.
  9. Pour cheese mixture over bread and place under the grill.
  10. Grill for a few minutes, until bubbling and lightly coloured.
  11. Serve Chässchnitte immediately with salad.

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What Other Travellers Say

Andrea (Adelaide, SA, Aus)
Andrea (Adelaide, SA, Aus)
Switzerland with Roberta was all I hoped and expected – she takes control of all the things I no longer want to decide. Roberta plans the itinerary to such an amazing extent – the food choices and venues always showcase the region we’re in and never disappoint. The small group works extremely well, with enough downtime to do your own thing but beautifully combined with an itinerary which encompasses all the things you want to see and more. My trip to Switzerland was my second adventure with Roberta – my first was Emilia-Romagna and I’ve already booked my next one to Scotland.
Belinda (Balmain, NSW, Aus)
Belinda (Balmain, NSW, Aus)
I had such a blast on the Swiss food and wine tour with Roberta. As a solo traveller, I loved the friendly small group vibe and the fact that all meals and transport were taken care of. I got to explore amazing villages and wineries and cheese producers that I would have missed if I'd been travelling on my own. It was so much fun that I've already booked my next tour with Roberta.
Teri (Pokolbin, NSW, Aus)
Teri (Pokolbin, NSW, Aus)
Thank you Roberta for organising such a wonderful Swiss tour! It felt like going from gem to gem – and your knowledge and passion for the places we visited and the people you introduced us to was evident throughout. Starting in the most charming village and finishing at such a grand and beautiful location, I remember thinking at our farewell lunch: “it doesn’t get much better than this!” Thank you, and I am already looking forward to my next trip with you.
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