Fondue dishes, which had become popular in the U.S. three decades ago, are back in vogue and numerous restaurants specialized in fondue dishes have sprung up across the nation. With the return of fondue cooking, we thought it would be useful to provide you with some useful tips on how to cook food fondue style.
The first thing you'll need is to purchase a fondue pot and fondue sticks. Choose a pot size that is appropriate for your needs (fondue pots come in different sizes). Besides the traditional fondue pots that you use on an open flame, there are now electric pots that allow you to regulate the temperature inside the pot.
The three basic types of fondue are cheese fondues (typically served as an appetizer in the U.S.), meat and vegetable fondues (served as a main course) and last (but certainly not least!) delicious dessert fondues. Naturally, your entire meal does not need to be made up of fondues. You may serve a fondue dessert at the end of a regular meal, or start a meal with a fondue appetizer etc. In fact, fondue dishes don't necessarily need to be part of a meal at all.
You can use any number of cheeses or cheese combinations to make a cheese fondue. For a mild tasting fondue, choose a cheese such as Muenster. Emmenthal will give you a sharper taste. Other cheeses commonly used to prepare fondues are pepper jack, Cajun cheese and gruyere. Grate the cheese or cheeses of your choice and toss in a small amount of cornstarch, then add to hot liquid in the fondue pot, and stir slowly until the cheese melts. Carefully regulate the cooking temperature; excessively high temperatures will burn the cheese, low temperatures will result in the cheese clumping.
To cook a main dish fondue, use either oil or broth. Season the oil or the broth and heat to boiling point in the fondue pot. The temperature of the liquid you use should be high enough to thoroughly cook the meat you will dip in the pot. If you use oil, however, watch out for too high temperatures that will cause the oil to splatter.
Dessert fondues are typically a variation of melted chocolate. Milk, dark, white or a combination can be melted together with cream to create a delicious chocolate fondue. The taste of the fondue will vary based on the quality of chocolate used. IT is important to slowly melt the chocolate over lower heat to prevent scorching and hardening of the chocolate.
To enhance the flavor of your chocolate fondue, add to the melted chocolate in the fondue pot your choice of liqueur, marshmallow crme, strawberry syrup or any flavor enhancers you fancy, such as mint, vanilla, almond, hazelnut etc.
Remember to prepare the food items (to dip into the pot using fondue sticks) ahead of time. Food should be neatly cut up into bite-sized pieces; different breads to dip into cheese fondue, carrots, broccoli, and all other vegetables as well as meat for main dish fondues. Meat should be prepared in one-inch cubes (or smaller) to ensure that it is cooked all the way through. For chocolate fondue, prepare whatever you fancy (marshmallows, brownies, crackers etc) to dip into the melted chocolate.
The first thing you'll need is to purchase a fondue pot and fondue sticks. Choose a pot size that is appropriate for your needs (fondue pots come in different sizes). Besides the traditional fondue pots that you use on an open flame, there are now electric pots that allow you to regulate the temperature inside the pot.
The three basic types of fondue are cheese fondues (typically served as an appetizer in the U.S.), meat and vegetable fondues (served as a main course) and last (but certainly not least!) delicious dessert fondues. Naturally, your entire meal does not need to be made up of fondues. You may serve a fondue dessert at the end of a regular meal, or start a meal with a fondue appetizer etc. In fact, fondue dishes don't necessarily need to be part of a meal at all.
You can use any number of cheeses or cheese combinations to make a cheese fondue. For a mild tasting fondue, choose a cheese such as Muenster. Emmenthal will give you a sharper taste. Other cheeses commonly used to prepare fondues are pepper jack, Cajun cheese and gruyere. Grate the cheese or cheeses of your choice and toss in a small amount of cornstarch, then add to hot liquid in the fondue pot, and stir slowly until the cheese melts. Carefully regulate the cooking temperature; excessively high temperatures will burn the cheese, low temperatures will result in the cheese clumping.
To cook a main dish fondue, use either oil or broth. Season the oil or the broth and heat to boiling point in the fondue pot. The temperature of the liquid you use should be high enough to thoroughly cook the meat you will dip in the pot. If you use oil, however, watch out for too high temperatures that will cause the oil to splatter.
Dessert fondues are typically a variation of melted chocolate. Milk, dark, white or a combination can be melted together with cream to create a delicious chocolate fondue. The taste of the fondue will vary based on the quality of chocolate used. IT is important to slowly melt the chocolate over lower heat to prevent scorching and hardening of the chocolate.
To enhance the flavor of your chocolate fondue, add to the melted chocolate in the fondue pot your choice of liqueur, marshmallow crme, strawberry syrup or any flavor enhancers you fancy, such as mint, vanilla, almond, hazelnut etc.
Remember to prepare the food items (to dip into the pot using fondue sticks) ahead of time. Food should be neatly cut up into bite-sized pieces; different breads to dip into cheese fondue, carrots, broccoli, and all other vegetables as well as meat for main dish fondues. Meat should be prepared in one-inch cubes (or smaller) to ensure that it is cooked all the way through. For chocolate fondue, prepare whatever you fancy (marshmallows, brownies, crackers etc) to dip into the melted chocolate.
About the Author:
Michelle is surely an expert writer whose discipline is writing articles about easy, but tasty, household cooking. Her articles or reviews normally stress the benefits of crockpot recipes just like crock pot chicken, which is among her absolute favorites.
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