Fondue is a whole ceremony, a magic pot unites everyone at one table. Both the base and the snacks for it can be completely different. Initially, fondue is a Swiss cuisine dish and is prepared on the basis of Swiss cheeses with the addition of garlic, nutmeg and kirsch.
Types of fondue
Cheese
Rub or crush the cheese to melt easily and heat slowly as it can burn easily. The structure of the fondue should be creamy, homogeneous, not stratified. If the structure is stratified, add a little lemon juice to the fondue.
Bouillon
For dipping food, you can use broth – vegetable or chicken, seasoned with herbs and spices. At the end of your meal, add some noodles and vegetables to the fondue, and when you run out of food for the fondue, serve it as a soup.
oily
Butter is good for dipping snacks – butter or aromatic vegetable oil. To prevent the oil from burning and smoking, use a culinary thermometer to measure its boiling point – it should be no more than 190 degrees.
The food should be kept in oil for about 30 seconds – during this time they will be fried until crisp.
Sweet
Fruit puree, custard, or chocolate sauce work well for this fondue. They are usually prepared in advance and served on the table, heated slowly so that the bases do not curl up and become grainy. To make the texture more uniform, add a little cream or milk to the base.
It is customary to thicken sauces for sweet fondue with starch so that they envelop the food.
Safety precautions:
– Do not leave the fire on which the fondue pot heats up unattended;
– Overheated oil can easily ignite, in this case cover the pan with a wet towel or lid;
– Never pour water into boiling oil;
– Food for fondue must also be dry;
– Protect your hands and face from hot sauces and splashes;
– The construction of the fondue must be stable.
Secrets of delicious fondue:
– Add a third of the crusts of cheese to the cheese fondue, the taste will become more piquant, and the structure is denser;
– Add fresh herbs to the fondue, only gradually to regulate the flavor;
– Serve the butter fondue outdoors – on the terrace or balcony;
– Season the fish and meat after the fondue so that they absorb the aromas better, and the herbs and spices do not burn in the fondue;
– So that the pieces of bread do not crumble, dip them first in the kirsch;
– In addition to bread, use pieces of mushrooms, pickled vegetables, fresh vegetables or fruits cut into strips, meat and cheese.