Fondue for the Beginners

Dados1950

New member
If you want to have a fun...and simple… dinner…try fondue.
First..for the “newcomers”…what is fondue? Traditional fondue is a sauce, either chocolate or cheese melted in the pot. For either one, you put all the ingredients in the pot and heat until melted. Once it is completed melted and creamy, you use the long narrow forks that come with the pot to dip your favorite “dipper”. For a chocolate fondue, which is often used as a dessert, typical “dippers” are fruit..strawberries, apples, ripe peaches..basically any fruit that would be delicious covered in chocolate. You can also use chucks of pound cake. For cheese fondue, the typical “dippers” are chucks of crusty bread (I cut up chunks of large soft pretzels), sausages and vegetables…broccoli, cauliflower, etc. You can get as creative as your imagination and taste buds allow.
The fondue pot is placed in the center of the table and everyone picks from the plates of dippers. It’s a perfect treat for a small group of friends or a very enjoyable family meal. We tend to enjoy fondue in the cold weather months in front of our warm fireplace, but fondue really knows no seasons.
I described the basics above. You can get creative and create a variety of sauces. The internet is loaded with ideas and recipes and all are simple and delicious! Remember to keep the recipe simple..no need to get complicated or your pot will sit in the pantry and collect dust.
Don’t forget a nice chilled bottle of wine!
Here’s your first recipe for a slight variation on a classic Swiss cheese fondue:

6 tbsp. butter
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups light cream (can substitute ½ & ½ ..just as good)
5 tbsp. flour
1 ½ cups grated Gruyere cheese (can substitute “regular” Swiss cheese..cheaper version)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup white wine (sweet or dry)

¼ tsp (heaping) cayenne pepper (don’t worry..just adds a little zing)

Mix cream (or 1/2 &1/2) and flour and set aside. Melt butter and bouillon cubes in pot on high
(that’s why electric pot better…more control) stirring to dissolve cubes .Reduce heat to medium then add cream mixture stirring constantly until thickened. Add cheese gradually blending until smooth.
Start dipping when melted and creamy.
Have fun!
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
mmmmMMMM!

Haven't had a cheese fondue in decades! It would be a great idea to have around the patio table one of these balmy summer evenings!

Good idea!

Lee
 

Dados1950

New member
Another suggestion...if you have another fondue pot...use one for the cheese "dinner" and another one for a chocolate fondue dessert ! (or just clean out the first one and start over with chocolate).
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
Fondue was big in Germany when we lived there and bought several quality pots. I've not done it 20 years and should but will have to restrict the cheese, I'm afraid. I could never get the oil hot enough for a meat fondue.
 

Sass Muffin

Coffee Queen ☕
Gold Site Supporter
mmmmMMMM!

Haven't had a cheese fondue in decades! It would be a great idea to have around the patio table one of these balmy summer evenings!

Good idea!

Lee

Last time for me was back in the 70s lol
 

Luckytrim

Grill Master
Gold Site Supporter
In another life, Fondue was a Monday night anchor.....

Like most of us, the flame went out decades ago ...............
 

Johnny West

Well-known member
It seems there are at least 15 fondue places in Seattle.

There is The Melting Pot in Tacoma which is popular although we've not gone. If I can ever eat cheese again just may check it out or do one myself. I know I have an old bottle of kirche wasser under the bar.


https://www.meltingpot.com/tacoma-wa/
 

medtran49

Well-known member
Gold Site Supporter
I love The Melting Pot. Our oldest granddaughter REALLY loves The Melting Pot. The first time we took her there, that child ate nearly as much as Dogboa and I put together. He and I were pretty much stuffed by the dessert course and didn't eat a lot, even though she had eaten a good bit of the cheese and entree courses, plus a salad, and then that child ate nearly every single bit of the dessert selections.

I bought a pot that's a bit smaller but otherwise pretty much the same as the ones The Melting Pot uses plus a couple of inserts, and bought an induction burner so we could use it at the table easily. We got to have a fondue meal once and everything worked well. I used a court bouillon instead of oil for the protein/entree course. And we used the induction burner a couple of other times. Unfortunately, I then had a little accident and dropped the IB and it broke. I'll get around to replacing it sooner or later. That thing was pretty cool, heats a pan up really fast and really hot.
 
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