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Casual Connoisseur
Doing the 'due: a favorite retro food classic gets a hip new facelift
By Gina-Marie Cheeseman
In the mid 1960s, fondue was the height of haute cuisine. To beehived housewives raised on the sacred doctrine of meat and potatoes making a square meal, fondue-with its bits of bread daintily dipped in melted cheese-was downright exotic.
Alas, in the heady 1970s, fondue went the way of the dodo and the tuna casserole surprise. Fondue sets languished on Goodwill store shelves and fondue recipes vanished from the pages of progressive cookbooks, replaced by methods for cooking brown rice and sautéed tofu.
Now, however, the pendulum has swung back the other way: fondue has again become hip. After several decades of complicated ingredients and flavors dominating the world of cuisine, the connoisseur world is gastronomically (and financially) ready for something a bit plainer and more rustic-a la fondue, the original peasant dish.
A humble history
Fondue came to being in Switzerland in the mid 18th century. Stale bread and cheese made up the unappetizing menu of Swiss peasants during the gray and dreary fall and winter months. When the villagers began to melt the cheese and dip their meager bits of bread into the warm mass, however, they discovered a delicious new meal. It wasn't long before wine and other seasonings were added to the mix and the modern concept of fondue as we know it was born.
Cheese Fondue
While fondue has traditionally been considered a melted cheese and bread dish, modern cuisine has made a wide number of fondue variations popular.
The original cheese fondue, however, is still the reigning champion. Here is a simple variation on the classic cheese fondue recipe:
INGREDIENTS
1⁄2 lb grated Gruyere cheese (rind
removed)
1/2 lb grated Emmentaler cheese
(rind removed)
1 clove garlic
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon kirsch (optional)
Season with pepper and nutmeg
to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Rub the inside of a medium saucepan with the peeled garlic clove. Throw away the garlic. Add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the Gruyere and Emmentaler cheese with the cornstarch and toss. Stir the cheese mixture into the wine one small handful at a time. Make sure each handful is completely melted before adding another. The fondue can bubble a bit, but don't let it boil. Season with the nutmeg and pepper. Stir in kirsch (optional).
3. Transfer to a cheese fondue pot and keep warm with burner. Serve immediately with desired dippers. These can be any combination of the following: cubes of crusty bread; chunks of cooked meat; roasted or boiled potatoes; blanched vegetables such as asparagus spears, broccoli, or cauliflower; slices of Granny Smith apples.
Meat Fondue
Quickly cooking small cubes of beef tenderloin or sirloin in a hot oil fondue pot, then dipping the cooked meat into a variety of sauces is a modern manifestation of the interest in fondue. The sauces, which can include everything from horseradish cream sauce to sour cream mustard sauce to chipotle mayonnaise and spicy Asian dipping sauces, add a complex layer to a simple and fun entrée.
Dessert Fondue
Does it get any better than bits of fresh fruit and cake dipped into liqueur-laced chocolate? Not really. Modern dessert fondue recipes feature every melted chocolate from the purest white to the deepest, strongest dark. Here is a recipe for a very basic chocolate fondue:
INGREDIENTS
¾ cup heavy cream
12 ounces bittersweet or semi
sweet chocolate (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon Cognac, liqueur, or
brandy
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat cream to simmering in a medium saucepan. Lower heat and add the chocolate. Let stand until softened (about 3 minutes). Add Cognac and whisk until smooth.
2. Transfer to fondue pot and keep warm with burner. Serve right away.
Need ideas for what to dip in this ambrosia? Try any fruit (strawberries, cherries, bananas, peaches, apples) or any baked goods (muffins, cookies, pound cake).
Entertaining with fondue
Fondue has come into vogue again with good reason-those sixties housewives knew a thing or three about entertaining, and they were aware that a dinner party with the hostess running around finishing last minute dishes was a recipe for stress. With a fondue as the main entrée, however, all the lady of the house needs to do is prep plenty of ingredients, make sure there is one fondue pot for every four diners, and sit back and let the guests do the cooking. Provide plenty of napkins and several bottles of chilled white wine, hard cider, or lager, and you've got the makings for a memorable party.
Restaurants have caught onto the fondue band wagon as well. Featuring three course fondue dinners complete with chef-picked wines and followed with excellent espresso, these restaurants cater to diners weary of complex menus featuring every ingredient from shittake mushrooms to quinoa to wasabi; fondue is a delicious, homey way to enjoy food that is both simple and exotic.
For information about purchasing fondue sets and a plethora of fondue recipes, visit FondueBits.com.
The cheese fondue and chocolate fondue recipes included in this article were reprinted courtesy of FondueBits.com.