Cheesy Fondue Fun: Creative Ways To Enjoy This Classic Dish

Fondue is a fun and social way to eat, and it's easy to make. Fondue is a dish in which small pieces of food is dipped into a hot sauce or cooking medium, such as oil or broth. It's a great way to socialise at a dinner party while enjoying a variety of delicious foods.

Fondue originated in Switzerland as a way to stretch families' resources. It was introduced to Americans in the 1960s and became a popular dish for entertaining.

You can make fondue as healthy or indulgent as you like, with a variety of dippers and sauces. It's a versatile dish that can be adapted to suit different tastes and dietary requirements.

So, what can you do with fondue? Here are some ideas:

- Serve it as an appetizer or a main course.

- Use different types of cheese, such as Gruyère, Emmentaler, fontina, or gouda.

- Dip bread, vegetables, meat, or fruit into the fondue.

- Make it in a fondue pot or a regular pot on the stove.

- Reheat leftovers or freeze them for later.

- Get creative with your dippers and try new combinations.

Oil fondue

Choosing the Right Oil

Selecting the right oil is crucial for a safe and flavourful oil fondue. Opt for a neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point, such as canola, peanut, grapeseed, or sunflower seed oil. Avoid olive oil, as it has a strong flavour and a low smoke point. Don't fill the fondue pot more than halfway, as the oil will expand when heated.

Managing Oil Temperature

Maintaining the right oil temperature is key. The cooking process is similar to a combination of deep-frying and poaching. While you want the oil hot enough to brown the food, it will then need to sit and poach rather than fry. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature, and allow the oil to heat up for 10-15 minutes before testing its readiness by placing a cube of bread into it. If the bread browns in less than a minute, the oil is ready.

Selecting Ingredients

When choosing ingredients, ensure they are dry to prevent the oil from spitting and bubbling over. Meat and seafood are popular choices, with beef, bison, lamb, shrimp, and scallops being excellent options. For fish, opt for salmon or tuna instead of flaky varieties. If serving chicken or pork, be aware that they may pose a higher risk of undercooking. Cut all ingredients into uniform, bite-sized pieces to ensure even cooking.

Dipping Sauces

The options for dipping sauces are endless. Provide a variety of sauces, such as mustard, garlic butter, or sour cream with herbs and spices. You can also get creative and mix different sauces to create unique combinations.

Cooking Times

Cooking times will vary depending on the temperature of the oil, the starting temperature of the food, and the size of the pieces. As a guide, meat will take approximately 25-60 seconds per piece to cook, with thinner slices cooking faster. Use a thermometer to check for doneness if needed.

Safety Tips

Always supervise children and keep them a safe distance from the fondue pot to prevent accidental burns or spills. It may be wise to have a separate, child-friendly fondue option, such as cheese or chocolate. Additionally, be mindful of electrical safety, especially with vintage fondue pots, as multiple pots plugged into a single breaker may trip the breaker.

Broth fondue

Choosing Your Broth

The type of broth you use will serve as the foundation of your fondue. You can opt for a simple premade chicken or vegetable broth, or get creative and experiment with different flavours. For a western-style broth, you can try using chicken stock with added seasonings like minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper.

Selecting Dippers

The beauty of broth fondue is the variety of dippers you can choose from to cater to different tastes and dietary preferences. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Proteins

• Thinly sliced beef
• Chicken sausage
• Marinated chicken
• Fish
• Pork
• Shellfish
• Tofu

Remember to slice your proteins thinly so they cook quickly and evenly in the broth.

Starches

• Baby corn
• Potatoes (russet or yellow)
• Rice

If you're using potatoes, consider pre-baking them to enhance their flavour and reduce cooking time in the broth.

Vegetables

• Onions
• Zucchini
• Carrots
• Mushrooms
• Peppers
• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• Green beans

Feel free to slice your vegetables thicker if you prefer them on the raw side, or cook them slightly beforehand if you want them softer.

Preparing Your Setup

To ensure a smooth and enjoyable fondue experience, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Use a fondue pot or a hot pot setup to keep your broth at the ideal temperature.
• Provide each guest with multiple coloured forks to avoid cross-contamination.
• Secure the cords of electric pots to prevent any tripping hazards.
• Have a variety of sauces and dips to enhance the flavour of your cooked dippers.
• Include some tempura batter for guests who want to bread their dippers before cooking them in the broth.

A Sample Recipe

If you're looking for a specific recipe to follow, here's a simple one to get you started:

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 32 fl oz chicken broth

Instructions:

• Put the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper into your fondue pot.
• Bring the pot to the table and pour in the chicken broth.
• Enjoy cooking your dippers through dinner, adjusting the temperature as needed.

Cheese fondue

Cheese Selection

The best cheeses for fondue are those with a buttery, creamy texture that melts smoothly. Good options include fontina, Gruyère, gouda, Swiss cheese, Emmental, Comté, raclette, and vacherin. For a classic Swiss fondue, a mix of traditional, firm mountain-style cheeses is best.

Cheese Preparation

For quicker melting and a smooth fondue, grate the cheese instead of chopping it. Toss the grated cheese with cornstarch or flour to thicken the fondue and prevent the cheese from clumping.

Other Ingredients

Classic cheese fondue typically includes wine, which helps keep the cheese mixture smooth. Choose a dry, high-acid white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, or an unoaked Chardonnay. You can also use beer or chicken/vegetable stock instead of wine. Add a small amount of garlic for flavour, and a squeeze of lemon juice to keep the fondue smooth.

Cooking Method

Bring your wine, stock, or beer to a simmer in a fondue pot or large saucepan. Add the flour or cornstarch and stir until combined. Then, slowly add the cheese a little at a time, stirring constantly until each addition is melted before adding more. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. If the fondue becomes too thick, add a little more wine to thin it out.

Dippers

Fondue is typically served with cubed bread for dipping, but you can also use baby potatoes, bell peppers, sliced apples, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, crackers, chips, or pretzels. Get creative and experiment with different dippers!

Reheating and Storage

Leftover cheese fondue can be stored in the fridge for a few days and easily reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop. You can also freeze leftover fondue by cutting it into chunks and sealing it in plastic bags.

Chocolate fondue

The Fondue Itself

The key to a delicious chocolate fondue is, of course, the chocolate. You can use any type of chocolate you like, including milk, dark, white, or semi-sweet chocolate, or a combination of these. You can even use candy bars, such as Toberlone or Symphony bars, for extra flavour and crunch. If you want to get really creative, try adding a couple of spoonfuls of marshmallow fluff or peanut butter and swirling it through the fondue for a pretty presentation.

To make the fondue, simply combine your chosen chocolate with some heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until melted – do not let it boil. Add more cream if needed to get a smooth consistency. You can then transfer the fondue to a fondue pot to keep it warm.

Dippers

When it comes to choosing what to dip into your chocolate fondue, the possibilities are endless. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Fruit: Strawberries, orange segments, pineapple, pears, apples, bananas, dried apricots, mango, and papaya.
• Cookies: Vanilla wafers, Oreos, biscotti, gingernut biscuits, custard creams, shortbread, or pink wafers.
• Cakes: Angel food cake, brownies, mini donuts, mini cakes, cupcakes, or rice krispie treats.
• Sweet Treats: Marshmallows, honeycomb, pretzels, popcorn (sweet, salted, or caramel), fudge, mini pancakes, or waffles.
• Other: Potato chips, candy (e.g. red licorice or jelly beans), or nuts.

Meat fondue

Preparation

Before your guests arrive, prepare your sauces and put them in little bowls around the fondue burner, along with the meat, bread and salad. You can also prepare the vegetables, potatoes, and other dippers by cutting them into bite-sized pieces.

Cooking

When your guests are ready to eat, fill your fondue pan half-full of vegetable oil and heat it on the hob until hot but not smoking. You are aiming for around 190°C. Put the fondue burner on the table carefully, then light the flame and put the pan on top.

Cooking Time

Each guest should have a fondue fork for dunking the meat in the hot oil. It should take 25-30 seconds for rare meat, 30-35 seconds for medium, and 45-60 seconds for well-done. Shrimp and other seafood cook quickly (1 to 2 minutes), while chicken and steak take a little longer.

Serving

When the meat is cooked, dip it into the sauces and pile it onto the bread. You can also bring cooked items to your favourite cheese fondue to dip in!

Frequently asked questions