Easy cheesy vegan fondue

Ingredients

2 tablespoons cooking oil

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 tablespoons chickpea flour (or all-purpose white wheat flour)

1 cup vegan lager or other pale ale

1 cup water

2 teaspoons vegetable stock powder

2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard

400g grated Angel Food cheese (we used a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella)

Salt and white pepper, to taste

Plus your choice of dippers: see notes below

Instructions

1.          Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant, stirring constantly.

2.          Sprinkle in the flour and stir to mix it thoroughly. Cook for another minute.

3.          Remove from the heat while you add the beer, water, and vegetable stock and mix until uniform. Return to the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.

4.          Add the cheese a little at a time, stirring well between each addition to ensure a smooth fondue. If it does look lumpy you could use a whisk or stick blender.

5.          Add the mustard and season with salt and pepper as desired.

6.          Serve in a fondue pot or in individual or shared bowls.

Notes

·       For dippers I like to use a wide variety of items, but you could definitely simplify it down to just a few. In the photo we've got celery sticks, steamed broccoli, cubes of crusty fresh white bread (rye would be nice too), whole radishes (cos I love that colour and crunch!), baked kumara pieces, smoky tempeh pieces (I used the marinade recipe here) and potato wedges. Oh, and  palate-cleansing dishes of gherkin slices and cornichons. The key is that dippers need to be solid enough to stay on your fork while you dunk 'em (which is why I roasted the kumara instead of boiling or steaming it).

·       If you’re not sure which beer is vegan, check Barnivore.com.

·       You can store this in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week. It will gradually thicken up, but you can return it to the right consistency by adding beer or vege stock.

·       Beer really does add great flavour to the fondue! If you don’t want to use beer you could use white wine or vege stock (and a dash of cider vinegar or white wine vinegar for a touch of acidity).

·       If you want to increase the protein and health content of this dish you could puree a can of cannellini beans (including the brine) and add that in. Adjust the seasoning accordingly.