Belgian Fondues au Fromage

1/4 cup butter
4 tbspn flour
1 1/2 cup milk
4 oz sharp cheese, grated
4 egg yolks
salt and pepper
1 egg, bread crumbs, and flour for coating
Oil for frying

Heat the butter til bubbly and blend in the flour. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes, whisking til the flour/butter starts to bubble. Do not let it brown.
Heat the milk in a separate pan, then slowly add to butter and flour, whisking constantly.
(These two should be heated somewhat simultaneously so that the butter/flour mixture isn't cooling down while the milk heats.)
Cook until thick and bubbly, whisking frequently, then add cheese and stir until melted.
Cool slightly and stir in egg yolks, one by one.
Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.

Grease a flat dish and pour cheese mixture into it, cover with wax paper or saran wrap, and refrigerate until cold and firm.

Working quickly take spoonfuls of cheese and, with well-floured hands, form into little balls about the size of walnuts. Return to fridge to re-chill as rolling tends to warm the cheese slightly.

Dip each cheese ball in beaten egg, then bread crumbs. The easiest way to do this and minimize the mess is to use one hand for each operation. Dip the ball into the egg with one hand, drop into bread crumbs, push bread crumbs over the ball with your other hand, roll, lift, and shake off excess then place on a wax paper covered tray. Return to fridge and chill thoroughly.

Using a deep fryer or a skillet with at least an inch of oil, heat the oil to 375 degrees, and fry fondue a few pieces at a time. Turn with a spoon until a deep golden brown, then remove and drain on paper towels. (Do not, under any circumstances, pierce them.)

Serve warm.

This is a time consuming but wonderful recipe. The fondues can be frozen after coating with bread crumbs and then just thawed a little and fried when you need them. The recipe comes from Myriam Guidroz' Adventures in French Cooking from 1970. The book is long out of print but I've seen copies on ebay and Amazon if you want one.