Fontina

Key facts Made in the Alps, in Italy's Aosta valley, since the 12th century, Fontina is a wonderful cheese for hearty Alpine cooking, due to its magnificent melting quality. If you can't find it, substitute Gruyere, Emmental, Taleggio, Edam or Beaufort.

This is the most amazing cheese for the kitchen: it’s sweet and rich with a slightly nutty flavour, and its great virtue is that it melts instantly and obediently when you cook with it, and then goes on melting seductively in your mouth.

I like to put small cubes of fontina in pumpkin soup, which gives it melting creaminess and a lovely stretchy appearance when you lift your spoon.

Related Recipes

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 Serves 2

Grilled Polenta with Sage, Parma Ham and Melted Fontina Cheese

Plenty of Italian influence in this wonderfully ingenious recipe…as we all know, ham and cheese are made for each other, so simply add polenta for a quick and easy supper dish.

 

 

 Serves 4

Melted Cheese Frittata with Four Kinds of Mushroom

Just as the Spanish have tortilla, the Italians enjoy frittata, cooked slowly to keep the eggs moist. Here, Delia has used melting cheese and a mixture of mushrooms for a wonderful vegetarian dish.

 

 

 Serves 4

Spinach Soup with Fontina

Spinach is an unusual ingredient in soups but works really well...and provides you with plenty of iron and other nutrients.

 

 

 Serves 2-3

Spinach Gnocchi with Four Cheeses

Little Italian dumplings made from potato, flour and egg are a great vehicle for carrying other flavours. Here, Delia has used spinach and cheese for a vegetarian version, but you can try other variations too.