Cheese Dip

Welcome to cheftalk Nicolas. You can introduce yourself properly at the Welcome forum. You'll get lots of friendly advice here.

I've never made that stuff and there may be an actual recipe for it (I really don't know.) I think you have to use a processed cheese to get the consistency you want. Something like Kraft Cheese slices.

Good luck

Jock

Do you mean a warm cheese dip like a fondue? That gets smooth but I believe it needs to be kept warm at the right temperature to keep from getting too stringy.

I thought of a mornay sauce, too but I'm no expert. That would give you a smoother product, but it would congeal rather than staying gooey like the stuff in the cans. That commerical stuff has chemical junk in it, so don't try that at home! :(

I thought I'd find a dandy recipe for you in the Cheese Lover's Cookbook and Guide. It surprised me greatly to find 2 out of 3 recipes based on Velveeta (processed cheese). I don't actually object to Velveeta - it really makes a pretty decent nacho cheese dip in my opinion. But not everyone shares that opinion.

The book had one recipe that might suit. As with the recipe you found, it has cornstarch in it.

1 small onion, unpeeled and quartered
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 Anaheim chiles
3 jalapeño chiles
3 plum tomatoes
8 ounces Caciotta or Monterey Jack, shredded
8 ounces Cheddar or Longhorn, shredded
4 teaspoons cornstarch
salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon pure ground chile powder

Place the onion, garlic, chiles, and tomatoes on a baking sheet. Broil them 3 inches from the heat, turning with tongs as necessary until their skins are blackened on all sides. Remove from the broiler, place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to steam until cool.

Once they are cool enough to handle, remove the skins from the onion and garlic. Remove the blackened skins and seeds from the chiles and discard. Peel the tomatoes, cut in half, squeeze out the seeds and juice and discard. Place the onions, garlic, chiles, and tomatoes in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse to chop coarsely. Set aside.

Mix the shredded cheese with the cornstarch and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Combine the cream, cumin, and chile powder in a 2-quart saucepan and heat over low heat. When the cream is warm, gradually stir in the shredded cheese, handful by handful, wait for each handful of cheese to melt before adding the next. When all of the cheese is melted, gradually stir in the chopped vegetables. Add salt to taste.

Serve in a chafing dish or fondue pot to keep warm.

There are two schools to making a cheese sauce/dip. The first is the "fondue" style that often uses wine or other acidic ingredient to help keep the cheese in an emulsion (nice and smooth, where the oil doesn't separate out). Not sure of the exact chemical reaction that creates this, but melting cheese in such a liquid helps to keep it nice and smooth. The other way is the "Mornay" Sauce method (these names are arbitrary, that I made up to differentate the two) where the cheese is whisked into a thickened base, often thickened cream. The base is usally thickened by either cornstarch or by a roux. Most cheese dips, in this country are based on the second style. Once you have the basics down, it is easy to experiment with different cheese, ingredients, and additions. Making "Nacho Cheese Sauce", "Artichoke Dip" or "Cheddar Ale Dip" all start basically the same way. The one thing you must keep in mind though, is that after you add the cheese, you shouldn't let the mix come to a boil again. This can cause the cheese to curdle and separate. Here's my recipe for Artichoke Dip:

1 Onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can Artichoke Heats, roughly chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 pint Heavy Cream
1 cup 1/2 & 1/2
1 cup Swiss Cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan (the good stuff, not the stuff in the green can)
1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
Roux (made with 1/4 pound of butter)
Tabasco
Salt
Pepper
Sweat the onion and garlic in a heavy bottomed pot, in butter, until soft. Add wine and reduce by 1/2. Add cream and 1/2 & 1/2. Add roux and whisk. Bring to a boil and add nutmeg and dry mustard. Whisk to incorporate then reduce to a simmer and add cheese. Stir until fully melted and remove from heat. Add a splash or 2 of tabasco (or more if you like) and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed. Keep warm and serve with tortilla chips or toasted pita triangles.