Picture yourself in a Swiss chalet somewhere in the snowy Alps, dipping fondue with your sweetheart before a roaring fire. It couldn't be more romantic, unless you're also wearing matching sweaters.
Well, it's highly unlikely you're going to get to Europe next week, but you can still celebrate Valentine's Day with fondue. So stoke up the fireplace and pull out those matching sweaters.
In fact, fondue is considered such a romantic meal that Salt Lake City's fondue restaurant, The Melting Pot, is already completely booked for Valentine's Day, said Zac Black, assistant manager. Since the chain restaurant opened its Utah outlet on Market Street almost a year ago, it's been the site of at least five marriage proposals, he added.
In one case, the engagement ring was placed in a bowl filled with rose petals that the server placed in the fondue pot. But Black doesn't advise throwing the ring in the chocolate fondue and hoping she spears it with her fork. "We've had people who want to put the ring in the bread, and that doesn't work very well either," he said.
Those who were around in the '60s and '70s will recall when fondue was wildly popular. When the fad waned, most folks threw their fondue pots out with the go-go boots. The cooking style has enjoyed a resurgence in the past year.
In the past six months, the Orson Gygi cookware store has seen a huge increase in sales of fondue pots, said store manager Burton Vick. "That's about the time you started seeing the restaurants like the Melting Pot opening here, and a lot of Internet sites popping up around the country," he said.
As a nod to fondue, a few local caterers now have a giant "fountain" that spews molten chocolate. Guests just dip in strawberries, marshmallows, etc. Utah Food Services and Culinary Crafts have both used the fountains at local events. Robert Sullivan, chef/owner of Utah Food Services, said the fountain (which cost $3,750) was first used during Christmas parties at the Governor's Mansion, and it was an instant hit. Now it's booked for many upcoming weddings and parties.
"It's a very curious thing for people, and it's a social ice breaker," he said.
Besides being romantic for two, fondue is fun for families and friends. Everyone is actively involved in preparing the food how they like it, and that promotes conversation.
"Fondue" comes from the French word "fondre," meaning "to melt." Swiss or cheese fondue, the most well-known style, has been a staple of Alpine peasants for centuries. During the winter months, they melted their hardened cheeses to soften them, and dunked in firm crusty bread. In the region of Neuchatel, where the dish supposedly originated, fondue is traditionally made with Gruyere and Emmentaler cheeses.
Along with white wine, cherry brandy is sometimes added. Alcohol lowers the boiling point so the cheese proteins don't curdle. In the Deseret News test kitchen, we tried apple cider and verjus (the unfermented juice of unripe grapes), and both were just as creamy, although a bit sweeter. Verjus can be found at specialty cooking stores such as Granato's. The main key to good flavor, we found, was using good-quality Gruyere and Emmentaler cheeses. The cornstarch or flour in the recipe helps keep the cheese from separating, and a little acid, such as lemon juice or vinegar, also helps break down the cheese proteins and allows it to melt smoothly. At the Melting Pot, guests can request to have bouillon mixed with their cheese instead of wine, said Black.
Some recipes call for processed cheese (Velveeta) or canned cheese soup, but you'll end up with something more like nacho dip instead of fondue.
Other types of fondue include:
Fondue bourguignonne, also known as "oil fondue" or "meat fondue," is when skewered beef cubes are cooked it a pot of hot oil. Pots for this type of fondue are traditionally copper, which transmits the heat from a little alcohol burner more easily and helps keep the oil hot enough to cook. Ceramic pots could crack at this temperature, so don't use them for oil fondues.
Broth fondue is when chunks of meat or vegetables are cooked in a broth. At the Melting Pot, diners can choose to cook their meat and vegetables in court bouillon, a seasoned vegetable broth; Coq au Vin, a wine and herb flavored broth; or Mojo, a broth with Caribbean seasoning.
Dessert fondue: This is often melted chocolate with chunks of cake, marshmallows or fruit for dipping. Dessert fondues are best served in a ceramic or earthenware pots, and the flame must be kept low or the chocolate can scorch. Those small ceramic fondue pots heated with votive candles are perfect for chocolate, caramel and other dessert fondues. Several authors say that chocolate fondue isn't a traditional Swiss treat but was begun in New York City in the 1960s as a way to promote Toblerone, the Swiss candy bar.
Most fondue sets include a pot, skewered forks (often color-coded so guests don't grab the wrong one) and either an alcohol burner or votive candle for a heat source. Denatured alcohol or fondue fuel can be used in the burners. Electric fondue sets are another alternative. Although it's not as chic as a real fondue pot, a small electric slow-cooker can be used for cheese and dessert fondues. A stainless steel fondue set at Orson Gygi will set you back $35; Sur La Table has sets in enamel, cast iron, porcelain, glass, copper and stainless steel that are $79 and up.
CHEESECAKE FONDUE
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 jar (6.5 ounces) marshmallow creme
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
In saucepan over medium-low heat, combine cream cheese and marshmallow creme; cook, whisking constantly, until cream cheese and marshmallow creme are melted. Watch carefully to avoid scorching. Slowly add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring well to combine. Stir in lemon juice; mix well. Remove from heat and transfer immediately to dessert fondue pot over candle flame.
Serve with: maraschino cherries, strawberries, kiwi slices, mango pieces, graham wafers, chocolate wafers, chocolate cupcake cubes. Adapted from "The 125 Best Fondue Recipes" by Ilana Simon.
CLASSIC SWISS CHEESE FONDUE
8 ounces Gruyere cheese
8 ounces Emmenthaler or other Swiss cheese
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons kirsch (cherry-flavored brandy)
1/8 teaspoon fresh pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
16-ounce loaf bread, cut into cubes
Mix cheeses with cornstarch in a bowl. Rub the clove of garlic into bottom of pot. Set aside for other use. Add wine, lemon juice and kirsch to pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add small amounts of cheese mixture to saucepan, whisking constantly after each addition in a figure-eight motion until cheese is melted. Season with pepper and nutmeg, stirring until smooth. Transfer to fondue pot and serve immediately.
Dip bread in and enjoy. Continue stirring while you eat. At the end, the cheese will form a crust on the bottom of the pot. The person who gets the crust is the "winner." Serves 4.
Variations: Use apple cider or verjus instead of the wine and kirsch. Adapted from "The 125 Best Fondue Recipes" by Ilana Simon.
CREAM CHEESE AND CRAB FONDUE
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons minced green onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup half-and-half (10 percent) cream
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
8 ounces crab meat, flaked
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (optional)
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add green onions and garlic; saute until softened. Reduce heat and stir in cream cheese and cream, whisk until cream cheese melts and mixture is smooth. Add blue cheese, whisking to make smooth. Then stir in crab meat, lemon juice and Tabasco. Mix well. Transfer to fondue pot and serve immediately.
Serve with: sourdough bread cubes, blanched vegetables such as broccoli and asparagus, and fresh slices of red and green peppers. Adapted from "The 125 Best Fondue Recipes" by Ilana Simon.
FIERY CHOCOLATE FONDUE
1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons Tabasco brand pepper sauce (or to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fruit chunks, such as green apples, strawberries, bananas
Melt chocolate chips and heavy cream in 1-quart saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth, stirring occasionally. Stir in Tabasco sauce and vanilla. To serve, dip fruit into fondue. Makes 1 1/2 cups. — McIlhenny Company.
FONDUE BOURGUIGNONNE
You will need a metal fondue set for this recipe; the hot oil will break a clay or ceramic fondue pot.
Vegetable oil
1/2 pound (per person) well-trimmed beef tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
Suggested dipping sauces: horseradish cream sauce, honey mustard sauce, steak or garlic sauce, mango chutney, pesto mayonnaise.
Fill a metal fondue pot halfway with vegetable oil. Heat on the kitchen stove over medium-high heat until it reaches 375 degrees, or until a bread cube dropped into oil cooks to a golden brown in 30 seconds. Carefully transfer pot to fondue stand. Light the burner with a long match in the center hole. Adjust the burner unit so that the flue (the little holes on top of the burner) are completely open. This allows the hottest possible flame.
Let each person skewer a piece of meat with their fondue fork and deep-fry it in the pot. Each person can cook his meat to his desired degree of doneness.
If the oil temperature drops below 360 degrees, return to stove and reheat, adding more oil if necessary. If the oil isn't hot enough, the meat will absorb more oil and taste greasy. The oil should be hot enough that it bubbles around the food immediately after it is added to the pot.
Variations: This can be made using chicken or beef broth instead of oil. Adapted from outofthefryingpan.com
FRENCH GRUYERE AND CARAMELIZED ONION FONDUE
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 pound Gruyere cheese, rind trimmed and discarded, shredded (after preparation, about 14 ounces, or 6 cups)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Cognac or brandy
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until the onions are dark golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the wine, broth and vinegar, and bring to a simmer. In a large bowl, toss the cheese with the flour. A handful at a time, stir the cheese into the saucepan, stirring the first addition until melted before adding the next. Allow the fondue to bubble lightly a few times, but do not bring to a boil. Stir in the Cognac and thyme. Season with the pepper.
Transfer the fondue to a cheese fondue pot and keep warm over a fondue burner. Serve immediately, with dipping ingredients of your choice.
Serve with: cubes of crusty French or Italian bread or roast beef tenderloin; also tart, crisp apples, cut into slices, tossed with lemon juice to discourage browning. Makes 4 to 6 servings. — "Fondue: Great Food to Dip, Dunk, Savor, and Swirl," by Rick Rodgers
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