I used to think fondue has quite an over-hyped reputation, which was until I had my first pot of cheese fondue. Dipping a piece of bread into the pot of melted cheese and twirling the rich string of cheese around it made me realise what I had been missing.I’ve had chocolate fondue before, but yesterday I had my first experience with cheese fondue at Out of the Blue. We ordered the “Four-cheese fondue”. (Surprisingly, they serve it as a starter, when in fact it is a meal in itself). They served it with a reasonably sized basket of bread and some vegetables. However, the quantity of the vegetable platter disappointed me; usually such inconsistencies get my quite worked up, but I was too happy dunking the bread and licking up the cheese to complain. The flavours of the cheese with the olives and the bread were incredible. This will easily go down as one of my unforgettable meals. I have already put the caquelon as a priority on the list of wares to buy. :)
Originally a winter meal made using leftovers of hard cheese and bread for the peasants of the Swiss Alps, fondue is now a culinary indulgence. In the cheese fondue, there are various combinations of cheese and wines, each recipe giving its own unique flavour. Then there are some who do not restrict themselves to cheese and wine, but add a touch of the local flavours, like the Curry flavoured fondue I saw on the menu.
Cheese fondues contain liquor (white wine and sometimes kirsch) to lower the boiling point and prevent the cheese from curdling, and a bit of lemon juice to increase the acidity of the wine. Flour is added to prevent the cheese form separating.
The Le Creuset fondue sets look very elegant on the table and for the cheese; there is ready made fondue cheese available in the market that simplifies the process, but it’s not that difficult anyway! Have a look at the fondue recipes at All Recipes.