Cheese Fondue

This is a baked cheese pudding in the American sense of "fondue" — closer to a sturdy soufflé than to anything melted in a pot. The hinge is the egg whites: fold them in with a light hand and bake immediately, or the dish sets dense.

• Oven temperatureA moderate oven here is usually taken as about 350F (period usage runs 350-375F). Anything hotter sets the outside before the centre climbs, and the top will crack and sink.
• Bread crumbsThe recipe does not specify, but soft crumbs torn from day-old bread suit it better than dry packaged crumbs, which absorb more of the milk and tend to a heavy, pasty result; if dry crumbs are all you have, use rather less and let them stand in the hot milk a few minutes.
• The cheeseThe recipe specifies only "grated cheese"; a firm yellow American or store cheddar is the likely intent. A sharp cheddar works, grated on the coarse side; 1 1/2 cups is roughly 5 to 6 oz depending on how coarsely it is grated.
• Shortening"Shortening" in printed recipes of this kind covered lard, vegetable shortening or butter more or less interchangeably. Butter is the better choice here -- one tablespoon, cooled slightly so it does not cook the yolks.
• Fold, do not stirThe cheese-and-crumb base is thick. Slacken it with a spoonful of the whites first, then fold the rest in in two additions, stopping while a few streaks still show.
• Dish and depthA greased 1 1/2-quart casserole or a deep 8-inch round dish. In a wide shallow pan the mixture cooks through well before the stated 30 minutes and dries out; deeper is better.
• DonenessAt 30 minutes the top should be well browned and puffed and a knife slid into the centre should come out clean. It will settle within a few minutes of leaving the oven, which is normal for this style — serve straight away.
• ServingSix as written makes modest portions; with a green salad and bread it is a supper for four.