Traditional fondue - cheese melted in wine

Fondue (French fondue - melted, molten, stretchy) is a Swiss hot sauce for appetizers and meat. It is a hard cheese melted in snow-white wine, with the addition of herbs and spices. After heat treatment, the sauce becomes alcohol-free (all alcohol evaporates).

It is believed that the first recipe for fondue was invented by Alpine shepherds. Going high into the mountains, they took with them only products with a long shelf life: bread, cheese and wine. To keep warm, the shepherds heated cheese and wine in a pot, and spread the acquired thick brew on bread. Over time, fondue has transformed from an ordinary peasant dish into a unique dish and a calling card of culinary Switzerland.

Cheese for fondue

Either one type of cheese or a mixture of several types can be used. There is no single standard; each region has its own set. For example, in Geneva, to make fondue, Gruyère and Raclette cheeses are combined in equal proportions, and the classic French recipe calls for a combination of Beaufort, Emmental and Comté cheeses. The closest thing to traditional fondue is equal parts Emmental and Gruyère.

The only important thing is that the cheese is fresh, of high quality and melts perfectly, and salty, spicy or sweet colors are a matter of taste. Fondue is often made at home from Parmesan, Mozzarella and Suluguni, the most available in Russia.

You need at least some dry snow-white wine of the average price group. Economy brands may contain additives (for example, very high concentrations of sulfur) that smell unpleasant when heated. In some recipes, 20-30 ml of cherry moonshine – Kirschwasser – is heated together with wine. Strong alcohol helps melt the cheese faster.

From time to time, wine is replaced with beer or champagne, but such options differ significantly in taste from traditional cheese fondue.

Other ingredients

The choice of spices is left to the discretion of the cook. Usually nutmeg or saffron is added to fondue.

Often crusty bread, pieces of fried meat, boiled potatoes, carrots, broccoli and even grapes are dipped into the hot cheese mass. Any product that is mixed with cheese will do.

Chocolate fondue is a separate dish that has nothing in common with cheese fondue.

Traditional cheese fondue recipe

Ingredients:

hard cheese (one or several types) – 500 g;
dry snow-white wine – 250 ml;
starch - 2 tablespoons;
garlic – 1 clove;
salt - a quarter teaspoon;
nutmeg - a quarter of a teaspoon (optional);
baguette (ordinary bread, crackers) - to taste.

Manufacturing development

1. Grate all the cheese on a large grater. Place in a deep bowl, add starch, mix. Thanks to starch, the fondue mixture will be homogeneous and the dish will not separate.

2. Cut the garlic clove in half. Rub the bottom and sides of a cheese melting pot with garlic cloves.

3. Pour wine into the pan and place on low heat. Boil.

4. Add cheese evenly (in 4-5 additions), stirring with a figure eight at any time until the cheese is one hundred percent melted.

5. After all the cheese has melted, add salt and nutmeg. Stir and remove the finished fondue from the stove.

6. Cut the bread into pieces so that they can be easily placed on a fork and dipped into the cheese mixture. There must be a crust left on any piece. Instead of bread, you can eat pieces of fried meat, vegetables and grapes.

Table etiquette rules

Since all guests eat fondue from the same pot, etiquette rules have been formed that allow for compliance with hygiene standards.

It is forbidden to touch the fork with your lips and tongue when removing a piece from it. It is also prohibited to touch the part of the fork that is immersed in the cheese sauce with your hands.
Firmly secure a piece of bread (or other treat) to a fork so that the snack does not fall into the pot or onto the ground. After dipping in the sauce, leave the piece over the bowl for 3-5 seconds until all excess sauce flows back.

Traditional cheese fondue recipe

An ideal dish for company would be cheese fondue; the traditional recipe is prepared using several types of cheese and snow-white dry wine. As a standard, you need to take 2-3 types of cheese. In this case, the taste of the finished dish will be the most harmonious. Swiss cheeses are considered more suitable for fondue. They melt perfectly and form a pleasant melting texture.

The dish is prepared in a special pot with thick walls over an open fire. Thanks to uniform heating, the cheese melts and remains in a molten state for a long time.

Cheese fondue: traditional recipe

In a unique recipe, it uses the famous Gruyère cheese, which is perfectly mixed with emmenthal and Friborg vacheran. Cheeses are taken in equal proportions. It is not always possible to find the designated varieties on sale. Therefore, it is possible to get by with the types of cheeses that suit your taste specifically.

Fondue cookware must be non-stick. In addition, it is important to maintain a constant heating temperature. This can be created using special gas burners or fondue candles. To ensure that the finished dish tastes excellent, it is important to correctly place the main ingredients in the container. You can cook the dish in an ordinary saucepan and later pour it into a fondue pot.

Ingredients:

· Hard cheese of 3 types – 200 g each;
· Snow-white dry wine – 1 glass 200 ml;
· Cherry kirsch – 30 ml.
You can replace the kirsch with any strong alcohol. For example, brandy or rum; · Crushed garlic – 3 cloves;
· Starch – 1 tablespoon;
· Grated nutmeg, dark pepper – a pinch:
· Freshest loaf – 400 gr.

Cheese fondue: traditional recipe

Manufacturing method:

Cut the loaf into small cubes and dry it in a preheated oven for 5-7 minutes. The crumb should dry out slightly and not turn into crackers;
Cut a clove of garlic into two halves, rub each of them on the inside of the saucepan in which we plan to cook the dish;
Leave the garlic on the bottom of the container, pour dry wine and bring it to a boil;
We grate all types of cheese and add them to the wine, do not forget to stir constantly;
5 minutes after the cheese is completely melted, dilute the starch in kirsch or other strong alcohol that we used.
You can use potato or corn starch. It will prevent the finished dish from flaking. If there is no starch, then it can be replaced with flour;
Add starch to cheese. The dish mixture will become the most viscous;
We pass the garlic through a press and add it to the cheese mass along with the spices. Spices are introduced at the very end, otherwise they will burn! Stir the dish until smooth and place it on a candle or burner;
Place the dried pieces of loaf on long forks, dip the crumb into the cheese mixture and enjoy!

Swiss chefs prefer to stir fondue with a wooden spatula, which prevents the cheese from curdling. The movements are made in the form of a figure eight. It is believed that in this case the mass will be without lumps.

If the mass comes out watery, you can add a little cheese or starch. If, on the contrary, the cheese mixture has thickened, then you can dilute it with wine. Instead of a loaf, you can eat olives, vegetables, seafood, gherkins and fruits.

Cheese fondue recipe without alcohol

Cheese fondue is also suitable for children's parties; the recipe is prepared at home without adding alcohol. Milk will act as a thinning component. To make the product taste as creamy and tender as possible, you should take soft and pickled cheeses that melt quickly and do not impart a bitter taste to the finished delicacy.

Ingredients:

· Milk – 150 ml.
Milk can be replaced with low-fat cream; · Soft cheese – 350 gr;
· Egg yolks – 2 pieces;
· Butter – 50 g;
· Salt and dark ground pepper to taste.

Cheese fondue recipe without alcohol

Manufacturing method:

Cut the cheese into small cubes, fill it with milk and send it to a cold black space for a couple of hours;
Heat the mixture over low heat;
Once it melts and becomes homogeneous, add half the butter and whisked yolks;
Warm up the dish. It doesn't have to boil;
Add the rest of the butter and stir. Salt and pepper to taste and serve!

Fondue without wine tastes very tender. It will be appreciated by those who do not drink alcohol.

Famous chefs add diluted saffron or turmeric to enhance the taste. These spices will give the dish a wonderful golden color. When choosing cheese, preference should be given to mature varieties with the fewest holes. The fattier the product, the more fragrant the fondue will be.

Cheeses for fondue - a great taste for an unforgettable holiday!

Cheese fondue can be considered one of the more savory and favorite dishes, equally beloved by both adults and children. It has a great taste, a subtle unique smell, is completely affordable, and what is especially appreciated by housewives is that it is prepared by the guests themselves, sitting at a set table. Cheese fondue is prepared at home instantly and very simply, and its absorption is accompanied by funny traditions and joyful competitions.

History of fondue

So what is fondue? This is food, the main component of which is cheese, heated to a watery state in a special pot over a constantly burning fire. The guests gathered around the dish drop pieces of bread, strung on long forks, into it one by one. A joyful atmosphere, delicious food, and noteworthy competitions turn an ordinary evening into an unforgettable celebration.

This dish was invented in Switzerland. According to one version, these were shepherds who went to the mountains with their flocks for many months. The food ran out, and they melted dried cheeses for fondue in a pot, threw in fragrant alpine plants, diluted it with the rest of the wine and dipped crusts of bread attached to sticks into it.

According to another legend, the recipe for cheese fondue was invented by Swiss housewives. During frosty winters, small mountain villages were covered with snow, and going for food became a problem. Then a small cheese pot came to the rescue, into which the family and guests dipped crackers, pieces of meat, sausages, flatbreads, pieces of dried vegetables and fruits. The dish came out with a new taste every time. I never got tired of fondue and helped me survive until warmer days.

Cheeses for fondue

In their homeland, they preferred Swiss Emmental or Gruyère for cooking, which cheese is still used for fondue today, but you can take cheeses of different stages of maturation and combine them. In our country, they use any type of hard cheese (Russian, Gouda, Edam) or their combinations.

What other cheese is suitable for fondue - Mozzarella, Tilsiter, Parmesan. They are not much more expensive than Russian ones, but the taste properties differ. Some people like fondue with processed cheese. And for those who don’t want to rack their brains over the choice, ready-made cheese sets are available for sale specifically for making fondue. The set includes various types of cheeses, which when combined give a good taste.

How to cook fondue

Cooking takes place on a stove or campfire. Then a special heat-resistant container - “caquelon” or, in Russian, a fondue pot with ready-made contents is placed on a burner, which keeps the dish at the table always warm.

Secrets of successful fondue

If the mixture is very thick, it can be slightly diluted with wine or water. Very liquefied contents can be thickened by adding a little more grated cheese or adding starch.

Starch for fondue can only be added dissolved in cool water, otherwise unappetizing clots will form and the dish will be spoiled.

The dish is mixed until smooth, sprinkled with your favorite spices and seasonings: saffron, turmeric, paprika, pepper solutions. Then they are carefully transferred to the table and placed on the burner. All guests dip in it:

dried baguette cubes;
slices of meat or sausages;
seafood or fish;
boiled or smoked poultry.

In addition, you can eat pieces of dark bread with spices, various fruits, mushrooms, and vegetables.

Usually, fondue is served with the alcohol that was used to make it, but it is entirely appropriate to serve other strong drinks, juices or tea.

You can prepare a tasty dish without alcohol. For this fondue, the cheese is melted in juice (apple, grape, etc.) or milk. Children love to dip crackers, hard cookies, chips, berries or fruit slices into the cheese mixture.

Fondue is not only tasty, but also interesting

This dish does not get boring, because there are a huge number of recipes for preparing it. By changing a few ingredients, you can get a completely different taste. Fondue is perfect for all democratic gatherings: family evenings, children's parties, friendly companies. It can be prepared just as easily at home, on a hike or in the country.

During production, it is not uncommon for pieces of goods to fall into the pot. You can come up with a funny tradition - what the “guilty” eater should create: sing a song, crawl under the table, dance. You can prepare an entertainment program in advance and have a wonderful time with your family and friends.

Cheese dishes, Fondue

Cheese dishes

Appetizer recipes → Fondue

This simple cheese fondue can be served with apples and pieces of bread.

Fondue sauce is prepared on the basis of milk with the addition of cheese and spices. Boiled potatoes go well with this sauce. A good dish to pass the time for a large company.

Fondue, which means “molten” in French, is a dish that is cooked over an open fire in a special heat-resistant container. We offer the main recipe for fondue with cheese and wine, as well as varieties of cheese fondue - recipes with herbs, with bacon, with tomatoes, with spinach, with peppers and with champignons.

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