Making Fondue Without Alcohol: A Tasty Alternative

Fondue is a quintessential Swiss dish that is perfect for a fun, communal dining experience. While traditional fondue recipes often include alcohol, it is possible to make delicious fondue without it. Whether you are looking for a kid-friendly option or simply prefer to avoid alcohol, there are several alternatives you can use as a base for your fondue.

One popular option is to use a combination of low-sodium stock and milk. Chicken or vegetable stock can be used, and you can even add a splash of milk for extra richness. If you prefer, you can also use just stock or milk, but be aware that stock can make the fondue too salty, and milk might become too rich. Another option is to use verjus, an acidic grape juice that is similar in flavour to white wine but non-alcoholic. You can also try other types of vinegar, such as white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar, which will add acidity to your fondue.

When making fondue without alcohol, it is important to add an acid like lemon juice or lime juice to mimic the tartaric acid found in wine, which acts as a stabiliser. You can also use cornstarch to help thicken the fondue and prevent the cheese from clumping.

Chicken stock and lemon juice

Yes, you can make fondue without alcohol. Chicken stock and lemon juice are a great alcohol-free alternative to wine in fondue. The chicken stock provides flavour and richness to the fondue, while the lemon juice adds brightness and helps to prevent the cheese from curdling.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (228 g) lightly packed shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1 ½ cups (171 g) lightly packed shredded Swiss cheese
• 2 tablespoons (19 g) cornstarch
• 1 cup low-sodium good-quality chicken broth
• ⅛ teaspoon lemon juice (this is important, don't leave it out!)
• 1 tablespoon finely minced or pressed garlic
• ¼ teaspoon ground black or white pepper

Instructions:

• Place the shredded Gruyere and Swiss cheeses in a gallon-size resealable bag with the cornstarch and shake until evenly coated.
• In a stovetop-safe fondue pot (or a regular saucepan or electric fondue pot), add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and garlic and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
• Add the cheese a small handful at a time, stirring constantly but not briskly. It works best to use a wooden spoon and stir in an S-shaped motion, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot so it doesn't burn.
• Once the cheese is melted and begins to just barely simmer, add the remaining spices and move it immediately to the table on the fondue stand with the sterno flame below. It should be the consistency of warm honey. Add more or less cheese for the perfect consistency and additional salt and pepper to taste if needed.
• Serve with your favourite fondue dippers such as steamed broccoli and/or cauliflower, carrots, apples, chicken sausages, bread, lightly sauteed mushrooms, tender potatoes, etc.

Enjoy your delicious and creamy alcohol-free chicken stock and lemon juice cheese fondue!

Vegetable stock

Yes, you can make a delicious fondue without alcohol! Here are some tips and tricks for making a vegetable stock-based fondue:

Choosing the Right Cheese

The best cheese for fondue is a buttery, creamy cheese that melts smoothly. Gruyere, Swiss cheese, and Emmentaler are traditional choices for Swiss-style fondue, but you can also use cheddar, gouda, fontina, or a combination of these cheeses. Just make sure to choose good-quality, block cheese and grate it yourself for the best results.

Preparing the Cheese

To ensure a smooth and lump-free fondue, it's important to toss the grated cheese with cornstarch before adding it to the pot. This helps thicken the fondue and prevents the cheese from clumping. You can also add a small amount of lemon juice to mimic the acid in wine, which helps to break up the protein chains in the cheese and prevents the fondue from becoming stringy.

Using Vegetable Stock

Instead of wine, you can use vegetable stock as the base for your fondue. Choose a low-sodium or no-salt vegetable stock to avoid making the fondue too salty. You can also combine the vegetable stock with milk to add richness and prevent it from becoming too salty. Heat the vegetable stock and milk gently, and then slowly add the cheese, stirring constantly, until melted.

Adding Seasonings

Fondue made with vegetable stock will have a milder flavour than wine-based fondue, so you may want to add some extra seasonings. A pinch of nutmeg or cayenne pepper can add a nice kick, or you could try adding some minced garlic or ground sweet paprika for extra depth of flavour.

Dippers

The best part about fondue is all the delicious things you can dip into it! Bread, apples, steamed vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, roasted baby potatoes, and pickles are all excellent choices. Get creative and choose a variety of dippers to suit your taste!

Milk and stock

Yes, you can make fondue without alcohol. Here is a fondue recipe with milk and stock:

Ingredients:

• 200g shredded cheese of choice (Gruyere or Swiss cheese)
• 100ml low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 100ml milk
• Optional spices and seasonings: 1/4 tsp ground sweet paprika, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• Boiled/roasted potatoes
• Blanched vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, capsicums, cherry tomatoes

Method:

• To shredded cheese, add the cornstarch and toss through to evenly coat the cheese.
• To a cold saucepan or your fondue pot, add the stock, milk, and garlic. You have the option of rubbing the saucepan with the garlic clove so you only get a hint of garlic.
• Turn on the heat, and over low to medium heat, allow this mixture to come to a gentle simmer.
• Once the mixture starts to gently simmer, add the cheese gradually and in batches. Gently stir the saucepan so that the cheese melts or almost completely melts before adding the next batch of cheese. Be patient!
• Once you’ve added all the cheese, and it has almost completely melted, add the ground sweet paprika, nutmeg, and pepper, if using. Continue to stir to combine. The cheese fondue should also start to thicken.
• Once all of the cheese has melted, finish off by stirring in the lemon juice. Cheese fondue is ready to serve!
• Swirl in your toppings right in the saucepan over low heat or transfer to a fondue pot and keep warm for a melty, gooey cheese fondue!

Tips:

• If you don't have a fondue pot, you can make this on the stovetop in a saucepan.
• If you are planning to make ahead, it is preferable to simply separate the cheese mix and the milk stock base. When you’re ready to serve, combine the two together over low heat for freshly made fondue.

Bread, apples, and steamed broccoli

Fondue is a fun and interactive way to bring people together over a warm, communal pot of delicious melted cheese. The best part about fondue is that you can dip almost anything into the cheese, and it will taste delicious.

Ingredients

For the fondue, you will need:

• 2 cups of shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1 1/2 cups of shredded Swiss cheese
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 1 cup of low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian option)
• 1/8 teaspoon of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of finely minced or pressed garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground black or white pepper

For dipping, you will need:

• Bread, cut into cubes
• Apples, cut into wedges or slices
• Steamed broccoli florets

Method

First, prepare your dippers. Cut the bread and apples into bite-sized pieces and place them on a platter. Steam the broccoli florets until they are bright green and slightly tender, then place them on the platter with the bread and apples.

Next, prepare the fondue. In a gallon-size resealable bag, combine the shredded Gruyere and Swiss cheeses with the cornstarch and shake until the cheese is evenly coated.

In a stovetop-safe fondue pot, saucepan, or electric fondue pot, add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and garlic and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Reduce the heat and slowly add the cheese mixture, a small handful at a time, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon in an S-shaped motion to ensure the cheese melts evenly and doesn't burn.

Once all the cheese has melted and the fondue is just barely simmering, add the remaining spices and transfer the fondue to your serving dish. If using a traditional fondue set, place the pot on the stand with the sterno flame below to keep it warm. If not, you can use a heatproof bowl placed on top of a pot of hot water to keep the fondue warm.

Tips

• It is important to add the cheese gradually and stir constantly to ensure a smooth and creamy fondue.
• If the fondue becomes too thick, you can add a little extra broth or hot water to thin it out.
• For the best results, grate your own cheese instead of using pre-shredded cheese, as it has a different consistency and may affect the texture of the fondue.
• If you want to add a little extra flavour, you can include some spices such as ground nutmeg or sweet paprika.
• Don't forget to stir the fondue regularly to prevent it from burning at the bottom.

Now you are ready to enjoy your fondue! Be careful not to drop your dippers into the pot, but if you do, don't forget to give your neighbour a kiss!

Grate the cheese

Grating the cheese is an important step in making fondue. For quicker melting and a smooth fondue, grate—do not chop—the cheese. Grated cheese melts faster and more evenly than chopped cheese, leading to smoother results.

When you're grating a large amount of cheese, using the grater blade of a food processor is super fast and worth the extra few minutes to wash the blade afterwards. If you don't have a grater blade on your food processor, the coarse side of a box grater or a coarse microplane grater work nicely too.

Toss the grated cheese with cornstarch to coat. Cornstarch helps thicken the fondue and prevents the cheese from clumping. Lumpy bumpy cheese? Not in our pot!

Flour can be used in a pinch, but cornstarch is the best option and leaves less of an aftertaste. Plus, it makes the fondue gluten-free for those with dietary concerns.

Frequently asked questions