Delicious Fondue Twists: Wine Alternatives For Your Next Party

Fondue is a dish in which bite-sized pieces of food is dipped into a hot liquid. The liquid could be oil or broth, cheese, or even chocolate for a dessert fondue. A classic fondue recipe includes white wine, which acts as a binding agent and adds flavour. However, if you're looking for a non-alcoholic alternative, there are several options to choose from. You can use a combination of low-sodium stock and milk, or simply use one of these individually. You can also use water, but adding flavour is recommended. For an extra kick, add lemon or lime juice to mimic the tartaric acid in wine.

Chicken broth and lemon juice

If you're looking for a non-alcoholic alternative to wine in your fondue, chicken broth and lemon juice is a great option. This combination will provide the necessary acidity to prevent the cheese from clumping together, resulting in a smooth and creamy fondue.

Here's a recipe you can follow:

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 (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 too briskly. It's best to use a wooden spoon and stir in an S-shaped motion, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent burning.
• Once the cheese is melted and starts to barely simmer, add the remaining spices and transfer it to a fondue stand with a sterno flame below. It should have the consistency of warm honey. Adjust the amount of cheese and broth for the perfect consistency, and add salt and pepper to taste if needed.
• Serve with your favourite fondue dippers such as steamed broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, apples, chicken sausages, bread, lightly sauteed mushrooms, and tender potatoes.

Tips:

• Don't use pre-shredded cheese as it has a different consistency than freshly grated cheese.
• The lemon juice is important to add acidity and prevent the cheese from clumping.
• Add the cheese gradually and stir constantly to ensure a smooth fondue.
• You can adjust the amount of cheese and broth to get the desired consistency.

Low-sodium stock and milk

If you're looking for a wine substitute in your fondue, a combination of low-sodium stock and milk is a great option. This alternative maintains the richness of the fondue without the alcohol content. Here's a more detailed guide on using low-sodium stock and milk in your fondue:

Choosing the Right Stock

When selecting a stock, you have the option of using chicken stock or vegetable stock. If you're catering to vegetarians, vegetable stock is the obvious choice. However, if you don't have dietary restrictions to consider, chicken stock is a popular option and will lend a savoury flavour to your fondue.

It's important to opt for low-sodium stock. Most ready-made stocks or bouillon cubes contain high amounts of salt, so finding a low-sodium version is crucial to prevent your fondue from becoming overly salty. If you can only find a regular sodium version, dilute it with more water to reduce the salt levels.

Combining with Milk

Combining stock with milk adds a nice richness to your fondue. Using just stock may make it too salty, and using only milk may make it overly rich and cloying. Therefore, a 50/50 combination of stock and milk is recommended to strike the perfect balance.

Tips for a Smooth Fondue

To ensure your fondue is smooth and creamy, follow these tips:

• Use a low heat setting when melting the cheese. High temperatures may cause the cheese to break and become clumpy.
• Continuously stir the mixture gently over low heat until the cheese melts completely.
• Add cornstarch to stabilise the cheese and thicken the fondue.
• Include lemon juice or lime juice to mimic the stabilising effect of wine. The citric acid in these juices helps prevent the cheese from clumping.

Remember, creating a smooth fondue takes patience, so take your time and enjoy the process!

Vegetable stock

When making a cheese fondue, the wine is used to flavour the dish and its acid content helps to prevent the cheese from clumping together. Vegetable stock can be used to replace the wine and still provide flavour. However, to replicate the effect of the wine's acid, lemon juice can be added. For a fondue pot, the recommended amount of lemon juice is 1/8 of a teaspoon, but this can be scaled up or down depending on how much fondue you are making.

When making a fondue with vegetable stock, it is important to use a low-sodium stock. This is because the stock can become too salty, and using a low-sodium stock will help to mitigate this. If you are unable to find a low-sodium stock, you can add more water to the stock to reduce the salt levels.

In addition to vegetable stock, milk can also be added to the fondue to create a richer flavour and help prevent the fondue from becoming too salty. A combination of 50% vegetable stock and 50% milk is a good ratio to use.

When making a fondue with vegetable stock, it is important to add the cheese slowly and stir constantly to ensure a smooth and creamy texture. This is because adding the cheese too quickly can cause the fondue to become lumpy. It is also important to use good-quality cheese and to grate the cheese yourself, rather than using pre-shredded cheese, as this can affect the texture of the fondue.

Some other tips for making a fondue with vegetable stock include coating the cheese with cornstarch to help thicken the fondue and prevent clumping, and using a fondue pot to keep the fondue warm and melty.

Overall, vegetable stock is a great alternative to wine in fondue, and with a few simple tips, you can create a delicious and creamy cheese fondue that everyone can enjoy.

Beer

Choosing the Right Beer

Select a beer that will complement the flavour of the cheese. If you're using a strong-flavoured cheese like cheddar, choose a beer that can stand up to those flavours. A bold, hoppy IPA or a robust porter could be a good choice. For a milder cheese, a lighter beer such as a pilsner or wheat beer might be preferable.

Adjusting the Recipe

When substituting beer for wine in a fondue recipe, use an equal amount of beer as you would wine. For example, if the recipe calls for one cup of wine, use one cup of beer. You may also want to add a small amount of lemon juice to the fondue to mimic the acidity that wine would provide.

Cooking with Beer

Be careful not to boil the beer when adding it to the fondue. Boiling can cause the beer to become bitter, which will affect the taste of the fondue. Instead, heat the beer gently and allow it to simmer.

Dippers for Beer Fondue

The same foods that go well with cheese fondue will also pair nicely with beer fondue. Bread, apples, vegetables, and meats are all excellent choices. If you're using a stronger-flavoured beer, you may want to choose heartier dippers such as pretzels, sausages, or roasted potatoes.

Tips for a Smooth Fondue

To ensure your beer cheese fondue is smooth and creamy, grate the cheese instead of chopping it. This will help the cheese melt more evenly. Also, be sure to add the cheese slowly and stir constantly to prevent lumps from forming.

Make it a Meal

Chicken or vegetable stock

When making fondue with stock, it is best to use low-sodium stock, as regular stock can make the fondue too salty. If you are using a stock cube, add more water to reduce the saltiness. You can also combine stock with milk to make the fondue richer. However, using just milk can make the fondue too rich, so a combination of the two is ideal.

To make a non-alcoholic fondue, you can substitute 1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock and 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice for the wine. The acidity from the lemon juice is important as it prevents the cheese from clumping together.

Frequently asked questions