Swiss cooking has a reputation for being cozy, cheesy, and a little bit fancy, but the three recipes below prove it can also be wonderfully simple. You get a shareable cheese fondue, crisp potato patties that need only two ingredients, and light meringue cookies that turn a few egg whites into a sweet treat. None of them asks for special training, and together they cover a full evening, from the main event to the side to dessert.
Fondue Neuchateloise for a Night In
This is the recipe to build a weekend around. Fondue Neuchateloise is a vegetarian dish made from equal parts grated Gruyère and Emmenthaler, 400 g of each, melted into 400 ml of dry white wine. A clove or more of garlic, 4 teaspoons of cornstarch, and 50 ml of kirschwasser round it out, along with freshly ground black or white pepper and freshly grated nutmeg to taste. You dip cubes of baguette into the pot, and the recipe calls for a pound of bread or more, which tells you how seriously the Swiss take their dipping.
Get the recipeFondue Neuchateloise
The tags on this one say "party," and that fits perfectly. Make it when you have friends coming over on Friday or Saturday, because a pot of molten cheese in the middle of the table gets everyone talking. A proper Fondue Pot keeps the cheese warm and smooth while people help themselves, so you are not running back to the stove every ten minutes.
For first timers, my biggest tip is to grate the cheese yourself. With 800 g of cheese in total, a sturdy Box Grater makes the job go much faster, and freshly grated cheese melts more evenly. Toss the grated cheese with the cornstarch before adding it to the wine, since that helps the mixture stay creamy. Add the cheese gradually and stir patiently. Cut the baguette into bite size cubes ahead of time and let them sit out a bit, because slightly dry bread holds onto the cheese better than very soft bread.
Rosti for an Easy Weeknight Side
If the fondue is the showpiece, Rosti is the dependable weeknight hero. The ingredient list is about as short as it gets: one potato and one tablespoon of vegetable oil per patty. That is the whole recipe, and it is pan fried into a golden, crispy side dish.
Make Rosti on a Monday or Tuesday when you want something comforting without a trip to the store. It goes alongside eggs, a simple salad, or whatever protein you already have planned. Because the recipe scales one potato at a time, it is easy to make exactly as many as you need.
The same box grater you used for the cheese works for the potato, which I love because it means fewer tools to buy. After grating, squeeze out as much moisture as you can with a clean kitchen towel, since wet potato steams instead of crisping. A good Nonstick Skillet is the other key piece of equipment, because it lets the patty release cleanly when you flip it. Get the oil hot before the potato goes in, press the shreds into a flat round, and leave it alone until the bottom is properly browned. Resisting the urge to poke at it is the hardest part.
Meringue Cookies for a Sweet Finish
Meringue Cookies are the dessert of the group, and they are a smart way to use up egg whites. You need four egg whites, one cup of sugar, two teaspoons of lemon juice, and a quarter teaspoon of vanilla extract if you like. The recipe allows superfine, powdered, or granulated sugar, and it notes that the ideal blend is half superfine and half powdered. That flexibility means you can probably make these with whatever is already in your pantry.
Get the recipeMeringue Cookies
These are great to bake midweek and keep around for a few days, or to serve after fondue night as a light contrast to all that cheese. They also make a nice little gift to drop off with a neighbor.
Whipping egg whites by hand is possible, but it is a real workout, so a Hand Mixer saves your arm and gives you more consistent results. Start with a completely clean, dry bowl, because any trace of grease or yolk will keep the whites from whipping up. The lemon juice helps stabilize the foam. Add the sugar gradually rather than all at once, and keep beating until the mixture is glossy and holds stiff peaks. If you can rub a little between your fingers and it feels smooth instead of gritty, the sugar has dissolved and you are ready to pipe or spoon the cookies onto a lined baking sheet.
Planning Your Swiss Week
These three recipes fit together neatly. Start the week with Rosti on a busy night, bake the Meringue Cookies a day or two later, and save the Fondue Neuchateloise for the weekend when you have time to sit around the table. If you are making the fondue and the meringues close together, plan your shopping list so you buy the eggs, cheese, wine, kirschwasser, and baguette in one trip. Grate both the cheese and the potatoes on the same day if your schedule allows, and you will only have to wash the grater once.