Picture yourself unwinding in front of a cozy fire after a long day of skiing. Or relaxing in a Swiss chalet high in the Alps, gazing out the window at the gently falling snow. The cuisine to match the scene: fondue, of course.
"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 firm, crusty bread in the cheese.
In the 1960s and early '70s, fondue was wildly popular among Americans who liked the "international" flair it brought to parties. Eventually most folks threw out their fondue pots along with go-go boots and bell-bottom pants.
But the cooking style has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity, and the chocolate fountain trend is a nod to fondue as well.
Deer Valley Resort offers a "fireside dining" option with European Alpine favorites such as melted raclette cheese with potatoes, simmering stews, fire-roasted meats, root vegetables, and dessert fondue. Fireside dining, held in the resort's Empire Room, opens for the winter season Dec. 15.
You may not get to Europe or even to Deer Valley this winter, but you can still have a fondue party for your family or friends. All that dipping and dunking is a great ice breaker and seems to naturally get conversations going.
Most fondue sets include a pot, skewered forks and either an alcohol burner or votive candle for a heat source. Electric fondue sets are another alternative. You can find these pots at housewares stores. A small electric slow-cooker can be used for cheese and dessert fondues, and a small deep-fryer such as a Fry Daddy appliance can be used for oil or broth fondues.
Cheese fondue: In the region of Neuchatel, where the dish supposedly originated, fondue is traditionally made with Gruyere and Emmentaler cheeses and white wine or cherry brandy. 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 made a creamy fondue, although the cider version was a bit sweeter. Verjus can be found at specialty cooking stores such as Granato's.
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.
Other types of fondue include:
Fondue bourguignonne, also known as "oil fondue" or "meat fondue," is when skewered beef cubes are cooked in 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.
A "Fry Daddy" small appliance is perfect for this use.
Just make your guests or family members mindful of the super-hot oil.
Broth fondue is when chunks of meat or vegetables are cooked in a broth. Again, the temperature needs to be fairly hot. Dessert fondue is often melted chocolate and chunks of cake, marshmallows or fruit are dippers. Dessert fondues require low heat so that the chocolate doesn't scorch.
RECIPES
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 (substitution: 3/4 cup apple cider or grape juice with ¼ cup white wine vinegar or cider vinegar)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (omit if using fruit juice instead of wine)
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 or fruit juice and/or lemon juice 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.
—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
Note: You will need a metal fondue set or a deep fryer 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 carmelized onion fondue
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine (substitution: 1/3 cup white grape juice or apple cider plus 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar)
1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1 pound Gruyere cheese, rind trimmed and discarded, shredded (after preparation, about 14 ounces, or 6 cups)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
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 or juice/vinegar and broth, 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 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.
—Adapted from "Fondue: Great Food to Dip, Dunk, Savor, and Swirl," by Rick Rodgers
e-mail: vphillips@desnews.com