Halloween Fondue with Gruyere & No. 93 Ale

Put your pumpkin carving skills to good use with this warming, grown-up Halloween treat - using a seasonal squash or miniature pumpkin as the fondue pot for our Gruyere & No. 93 Ale Fondue.

A simple recipe with impressive results! Pouring the fondue into the freshly oven-baked squash keeps the fondue warm at the table and provides an impressive centrepiece.

Ingredients

250g Gruyere Premier Cru
1 Tbsp Cornflour
200ml Paxton's No. 93 Ale
1 Seasonal Squash or Miniature Pumpkin
Crusty Bread (cut into small chunks for dipping)
Salt & Pepper

Making your Fondue

• Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan)
  
  
• Using a sharp knife, carefully carve the lid from your squash or pumpkin. We used a zigzag cut design, but you could use a straight cut if you prefer.

• Scoop out the seeds from the pumpkin and carefully carve out the excess flesh to leave approx 1cm flesh around the pumpkin and lid. Pop the excess flesh into a baking tray and you can bake this at the same time as your pumpkin for use in another recipe such as our Baked Pumpkin Gnocci.

• Sprinkle a pinch of salt & pepper over the inside of your pumpkin and place it with the lid next to it on a baking tray. Pop it into your oven and set the timer for 40 minutes. Turn off your oven when finished and leave the squash in the warm oven whilst you make your fondue.
  
  
• Grate your Gruyere cheese and pop it into a bowl. Sprinkle over the cornflour and stir to combine.
  
  
• Heat your ale on the hob over a low heat, until it is close to boiling point.
  
  
• Add your grated Gruyere/cornflour mixture, a handful at a time, to your beer and whisk gently after each handful to ensure the mixture combines.
  
  
• Continue adding your cheese and whisking gently until the fondue has formed and there are no lumps and everything has melted.
  
  
• If you would like your fondue to thicken slightly more, add a sprinkling of cornflour and continue to gently whisk.
  
  
• Remove your pumpkin from the oven, pour the fondue inside and serve immediately with the chunks of crusty bread.