Fondue is a national dish of Swiss cuisine. It has an amazing aroma and an unusual delicate taste, as well as many interesting traditions that will help turn an ordinary dinner into an extraordinary, eventful evening.
General information
Fondue, what is it? Its name comes from the French word "fondre", which translates as "melt". The composition of the traditional Swiss cuisine includes two types of cheese - gruyere and emmental, which are melted in white dry wine, sometimes with the addition of cherry vodka (kirsha). However, in different parts of Switzerland you can find your own fondue recipe, featuring a wide range of added ingredients, from which the dish only wins.
Fondue is not just food, it is a special communication style, certain traditions, etiquette. It is consumed by planting a piece of bread or another side dish on a long fork and dipping it in the melted mass of cheese and wine. The fork is usually held over the fondue so that excess cheese sauce drains back, and he himself is slightly cooled. They carefully eat bread from the fork so as not to touch her mouth, because she again has to plunge into the common dish.
The history of fondue
What is this dish and what is its history? Its origin is laid by Swiss shepherds. On alpine pastures, they ate bread slices that were dipped in a mixture of melted cheese and wine. This hearty dish laid the foundation for the appearance of fondue itself in its various variations, and also outlined the ceremony of its use.
There is another version of the origin of the dish, which originates in peasant cuisine. Zealous housewives collected old dried pieces of cheese and melted it in a cauldron, where they dipped bread and ate.
Gradually, this dish began to appear on tables in an aristocratic society, of course, it was prepared from the best varieties of wine and cheese, and also tasted with the best and freshest bread.
The fondue dish quickly spread to the cuisines of the whole world and in each of them acquired its own special identity, thanks to experiments with its preparation.
Dishes for cooking fondue
Initially, for the preparation of this dish they used exclusively heat-resistant, often cast-iron utensils, usually pots. They were the best option for melting pieces of cheese both on the fire and in the oven. Today, fondue has gained such popularity and is so loved by gourmets that special dishes for its preparation are presented in the form of various modifications, and making a choice is not so simple.
Fonduits are made of cast iron, stainless steel, copper, and ceramics. Electric appliances gained great popularity. Their appearance itself is also quite diverse. They are like a pot on a special stand, where the sauce is poured. Thanks to the burner or candle, the fondue can keep the dish warm. The device is also supplemented with skewers for stringing slices of bread, vegetables or fruits. For them, it is possible to have separate cups placed around the fondue
However, if such dishes are not available, you can always use an ordinary saucepan or pot. And in them you can cook a dish that tastes no different from that created even in the most sophisticated fondue.
Making classic fondue
Fondue classic cheese is prepared in the following way.
The ingredients needed to create it:
- Gruyere cheese - 300 grams;
- emmental cheese - 250 grams;
- garlic - 3 cloves;
- cornmeal - 4 teaspoons;
- dry white wine - 300 ml;
- cherry vodka - 60 ml;
- ground black pepper, nutmeg - to taste.
Cooking
With the help of a garlic grinder, crush the garlic and grease the inside of a special bowl designed for cooking fondue.
Grate the cheese on a fine grater or use it to grind a food processor.
Pour wine into the fondue bowl, lightly heat it over low heat, not boiling.
In a separate pan, mix cornmeal with vodka and add 2/3 of this mixture to the heated wine.
The heated mixture must be constantly stirred, preferably with a wooden spoon. Pour the chopped cheese into the bowl and mix thoroughly the resulting mass.
After that add the remaining mixture of cornmeal with vodka, black pepper and nutmeg. Saffron and turmeric are allowed; these condiments also go well together to taste with the cheeses used.
The mass must be stirred until it acquires the necessary density and uniformity. Cook fondue should be on low heat, in order to avoid burning cheese.
The cooked dish is served in special fondue dishes that allow you to maintain its temperature. For dipping, use bread or cookies. Your attention is presented with fondue, recipes, photos of the final dish.
How to replace the missing ingredients?
The recipe for a classic fondue was presented above. How to cook this dish in the conditions of our kitchen, if it was not possible to get the right ingredients?
Corn flour can be replaced with the corresponding cereal, after it has been brought to a powdery state using a coffee grinder or spice mill.
Gruyere is a classic Swiss cheese with a special nutty flavor, it is not always possible to get it. Replace it with ordinary hard cheese, characterized by a piquant taste. Alternatives include mozzarella, beaufort, fotin, edam, cheddar, Kostroma cheese or hunting cheese with pepper.
Cherry vodka is another rare ingredient. Instead, you can use vodka infused with the fruits of cherries for a month. Slivovitsa is also suitable - a type of fruit vodka, its taste and aroma most closely matches the desired one.
Cheese French Fondue
There are many cooking options for this dish, but the following recipe is most appropriate for the classic version. The best fondue French is first of all a good white wine and properly selected cheeses with a specific taste. This dish is served with slices of white bread.
The ingredients needed to create it:
- Comte cheese - 200 grams;
- Beaufort cheese - 200 grams;
- garlic - 1 clove;
- dry white French wine - 300 ml;
- potato starch - 4 teaspoons.
Cooking
Grate garlic fondue bowl, pour wine. Bring it to a boil and reduce heat. Add chopped cheese in parts, constantly stirring the resulting mass. When the mixture becomes homogeneous, add starch and stir. Wait for the mass to thicken and remove from heat.
Meat fondue
Meat fondue, what is it? This is an option for preparing a classic dish, which is adapted for meat lovers. Here, all components are optimally selected, including the composition of sauces. The ingredients needed to create it:
- meat (beef, pork or veal) - 200 grams per 1 serving;
- cooking oil for frying.
Ingredients for Egg Sauce:
- egg - 1 piece;
- vinegar - 1 tablespoon;
- mustard - 1 teaspoon;
- vegetable oil - 200 ml;
- gherkins - 4 pieces;
- onions, peppers, salt - to taste.
Ingredients for Tomato Sauce:
- sugar - 4 tablespoons;
- vinegar - 6 tablespoons;
- tomato paste - 3 tablespoons;
- starch - 1 teaspoon;
- salt - 1 teaspoon;
- soy sauce - to taste.
Cooking
Cut the meat into medium-sized cubes and roll the balls from it. Make sauces.
Egg sauce is prepared as follows: boil the egg, peel and cut in half and separate the yolk from the protein. Mash it and mix with mustard and vinegar, sprinkle with salt and pepper, mix everything well until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Add vegetable oil to the mixture with a thin stream, whisking it with a mixer at the same time. Grind egg white, onions, gherkins and combine with cooked sauce.
Tomato sauce is prepared as follows: bring tomato paste, sugar, vinegar to a boil, add salt, soy sauce and starch, dissolved in a small amount of water.
String the meat on forks and fry in warmed vegetable oil. Dip the prepared pieces in any of the prepared sauces and eat.
Alcohol Free Fondue
Cheese fondue without wine is an excellent option for people who do not drink alcohol, as well as a great meal for children.
The ingredients needed to create it:
- cheese of several varieties - 300 grams;
- garlic - 1 clove;
- egg yolks - 2 pieces;
- butter - 60 grams;
- milk - 150 ml;
- black pepper, nutmeg, salt - to taste.
Cooking
Cheese is cut into small pieces, poured with milk and stands for several hours, then melted in a water bath with the addition of a portion of butter. When the mass becomes homogeneous and viscous, beaten egg yolks are introduced into it, with constant stirring. The mixture should not boil, otherwise the yolks will curl. Lastly, add the remainder of the butter, seasoning and salt. Eat with bread.
Vegetable fondue
Cooking fondue with vegetables will help diversify the table, as well as create a tasty and healthy dish.
The ingredients needed to create it:
- vegetables (broccoli, zucchini, carrots, cauliflower) - 200 grams per 1 serving.
Sauce Ingredients:
- an egg - 2 pieces;
- vegetable oil - 200 ml;
- lemon juice - 1 tablespoon;
- garlic - 2 cloves;
- salt, pepper - to taste.
Ingredients for batter:
- an egg - 2 pieces;
- beer - 400 ml;
- flour - 4 tablespoons;
- vegetable oil - for frying.
Cooking
Beat egg yolks, add lemon juice to them and mix. Without stopping stirring, slowly add vegetable oil in a thin stream until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Grind the garlic with garlic and mix with the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Make batter from eggs, flour and beer - mix all the ingredients well.
Wash vegetables, cut into small pieces. If they are too hard (carrots, cabbage), pre-cook them in salted water for several minutes. After rinse with cold water and let it drain.
In heated vegetable oil, fry the prepared vegetables, after dipping them in batter.
Chocolate fondue
There are a lot of recipes for this dish, everyone considers it his duty to make a feasible contribution to his recipe, contributing to its improvement. We bring to your attention the following version of fondue. How to cook it in the simplest way, avoiding unnecessary additions. The option is before you, although if you want, based on it, depending on your preferences, you can create a masterpiece that is right for you. A wonderful variety of fondue, recipes, photos of the final dish in front of you.
The ingredients needed to create it:
- chocolate - 500 grams;
- butter - 50 grams;
- milk powder - 3 tablespoons;
- cream - 2 tablespoons;
- sugar - 100 grams.
Cooking
Grind the chocolate by simply breaking it into small pieces or using kitchen appliances. Put it in a pan and put on a small fire. Pour cream, milk powder, sugar and butter diluted in a small amount of water. The mixture must be mixed well and left on fire for several minutes to convert to a homogeneous, thick liquid mass.
Serve chocolate fondue with biscuit and fruit. This exquisite treat will please not only adults, but also delight children. If it is not intended for a sweet table, then the addition of 50 - 70 ml of cognac is allowed. This will give the chocolate fondue a special piquancy.
Another way to make cheese fondue
To create this dish, as you know, specially designed dishes are used - fondue. How to make fondue without it? There is a wonderful recipe for this dish in a slow cooker.
The ingredients needed to create it:
- cheese - 350 grams;
- garlic - clove;
- dry white wine - 150 grams;
- cream 20% - 75 grams;
- potato starch - 10 grams;
- spices, salt - to taste.
Cooking
In a separate bowl we place cream, starch, grated with a little water, sugar and mix until smooth.
Pour wine into the capacity of the multicooker, on the Multi-Cook program at a temperature of 100 degrees and a duration of 10 minutes, press the Start button.
After 5 minutes, spread the chopped cheese with garlic into the bowl. In this case, constantly stir the mass to obtain a homogeneous consistency. Then add a mixture of cream, starch and sugar, without stopping mixing.
After the program ends, you can enjoy a wonderful dish - fondue in a slow cooker.
Opinions about fondue
Naturally, there are so many people, so many opinions. There is no such thing that would appeal to all people. This also applies to fondue. The reviews that are associated with it vary greatly. The dish undoubtedly has an amazing, delicate taste, rich aroma, interesting history. However, he has one indisputable flaw, which excludes his constant presence on our table. This is its calorie content. But, as elsewhere, in order to safely use your favorite dish, you can use some tricks.
Naturally, the calorie content of fondue depends on its components - mainly cheeses, since dry wine can not be taken into account. If desired, you can use less high-calorie cheeses, and instead of bread dipped in sauce, take vegetables.
In any case, if someone cares about the harmony of his figure, you can prepare fondue for your loved ones, who prefer hearty dishes. They will definitely like it and they will certainly appreciate your culinary talent.
Fondue traditions
This dish is associated with many interesting customs, originating in Switzerland. Having spread all over the world, they underwent some changes, since in each country that loves fondue, they were intertwined with their own customs, principles and had a touch of mentality of this nation. When the guests gathered at the common table, a fondue with a smoking aromatic dish was displayed on it. Each present was given a special fork and plate.
The guests pricked slices of bread, vegetables or meat (depending on the type of cooked dish) on the forks, dipped them in the sauce, held them over the pot for a few moments so that the excess drops drained, and the treats cooled slightly, and sent the treat to the mouth. The little ones tried not to touch their mouth, since it would be repeatedly dipped into the general dish, and the rules of hygiene, like good taste, are relevant everywhere and always.
If the guest dropped a piece of bread into a common sauce, then he was subjected to “punishment”. If it was a woman, she was obliged to kiss all the men sitting at the table. If a man - he bought a bottle of wine for everyone present. You can make an unsuccessful eater fulfill a previously agreed desire. If someone dropped his bread a second time in a common sauce, he was obliged to make a fondue reception in his house and invite everyone present there.
Therefore, when asked about fondue, what is it, one can definitely answer that this is not only an amazingly tasty and satisfying dish, but also a wonderful opportunity to spend a fun and interesting evening. A fascinating conversation will serve as a wonderful addition to dinner and leave a lasting impression in the soul of everyone.