fondue
Perfect for long winter evenings
© margouillat photo / Shutterstock
Fondue is perfect for long evenings with family or friends. Here you will find our tips for a successful fondue and delicious recipes for meat, sauces, dips and side dishes.
Fondue recipes for cozy rounds
Whether Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve: fondue is sociable. Nobody has to stand and cook in the kitchen for long, instead the hosts and guests sit comfortably together at the table while meat, fish, bread or vegetables sizzle in the middle in the middle – according to your own taste.
Which accessories do I need for fondue?
First of all, of course, you need a suitable fondue device. Devices that run on alcohol give off a somewhat unpleasant odor. An alternative are fondues that use fire Special paste or one Gas burner is kindled, and Electro fondues.
Have one or two fondue forks ready for each guest – so there is no argument. Normal cutlery is also required. If you want to cook vegetables, fish, meatballs or other soft ingredients, you should use small ones Metal screens get (available in the Asia store or in the household store).
This is how you prepare a fat fondue
Which oil is suitable for fondue?
It is suitable for fondue with fat tasteless oil (e.g. sunflower oil, rapeseed oil) or Coconut oil. Butter and margarine are unsuitable!
Are there low-calorie alternatives to fat fondue?
Fondue with broth is low in fat and makes the meat fondue nicely spicy. Best uses beef broth. A variant of the broth fondue is the fondue chinoise, also known under the name "Feuertopf" or "Hotpot". We also have recipes for vegetarian fondue and vegan fondue.
1. The perfect meat fondue
Which types of meat are suitable for fondue?
Tender meat is well suited for fondue filet: You decide for yourself whether beef, pork, lamb or chicken. If you want a little more flavor, you can also use fillet instead Loin, roast beef or prime rib to grab. You don't have to buy special fondue meat, it is just cut ready and therefore unnecessarily expensive. Better to buy the meat for the fondue from the butcher and cut it into small pieces yourself. Incidentally, this works best when it is slightly frozen. tip: Calculate around 200 grams of meat per guest for a meat fondue. The meat should be dabbed well and at room temperature – otherwise it will splatter.
Here is the basic recipe for meat fondue.
2. The perfect cheese fondue
Which cheese do I use for cheese fondue?
For the cheese fondue, it is best to use strong ones Swiss cheese:
- Gruyère (Gruyère)
- Appenzeller
- Vacharin
- Emmentaler
Everyone can determine the mixing ratio according to their own preferences. Regardless of the type of cheese, the following applies: The cheese is melted in wine and seasoned with kirsch.
What else do I need for cheese fondue?
Cheese fondue is traditionally served with potatoes and pieces of bread from the day before. The dry bread soaks up the melted cheese much better than fresh bread. Because cheese fondue is very powerful, the side dishes can be light. Particularly popular: pickled vegetables. And after the fondue, a decent glass of kirsch is a must! In our article What goes well with cheese fondue? let's clarify which side dishes taste best with fondue. We also have recipes for a vegan cheese fondue.
3. The perfect fish fondue
Which types of fish are suitable for fish fondue?
Fish can easily disintegrate, so types of fish with firm meat are like Salmon or pikeperch, best suited for fondue. Also shrimp can be used well. If you want to prevent crumbs of fish from swimming around in the oil or broth, you can use small metal sieves for your fish fondue.
4. The perfect vegetable fondue
Which vegetables are suitable for fondue?
Solid vegetables such as peppers, mushrooms or pieces of onion are well suited for fondue. You can either prick it directly with the fondue fork and dip it into the fondue – or you can make skewers with meat and vegetables.
And what about chocolate fondue?
If you haven't had enough of fondue, you can also serve your dessert in the form: With chocolate fondue, pieces of fruit are dipped in liquid chocolate – a sweet sin … If you like, you can refine the chocolate with spices such as cinnamon or chili. Bite-sized bites such as strawberries or grapes, but also banana slices, are particularly popular with chocolate fondue. And if it can't be sweet enough for you, you should try chocolate fondue with marshmallows!
Which side dishes go well with the fondue?
That is of course a bit a matter of taste – in principle anything is possible at first. Fondue sauces such as chutney or garlic sauce are popular. In the opinion of many fondue fans, small pre-cooked potatoes and crispy pieces of bread should not be missing either. But also think of a fresh salad, pickled vegetables or raw vegetables for dipping – a little vegetables in between is good for you!
Here we introduce you to three classic sauces for fondue:
- Cocktail sauce: Of course you can also buy cocktail sauce ready-made – but why should you when it is so easy to make yourself? The recipe: cocktail sauce
- Mango chutney: Sweet + sour + hot – this combination is the secret of mango chutney. About the recipe: Mango Chutney
- Remoulade: Yoghurt makes our tartar sauce light, pickles, capers and herbs provide the bite and flavor. The recipe: Remoulade
Prepare the fondue
What do I have to prepare for the fondue?
- Before the fondue evening, it is advisable to try out the device briefly. Because fondue machines are often in the cupboard or basement all year round and are only used on Christmas or New Year's Eve. Nothing is more annoying than a fondue machine that doesn't work when the guests are already there.
- If you don't have an electric fondue, you have to have a suitable one Fuel (Spirit, gas or fuel paste, depending on the device).
- And of course you have to Get all the ingredients and chop them up. Depending on your personal ambition and creativity, prepare sauces, salads or creative skewers.
- And another tip so that you don't sit hungry in front of your fondue for too long: You should heat fat or broth on the stove before you put the pot on the rechaud. The right temperatures: 180 degrees for the fat fondue, 100 degrees for the stock fondue.
What safety precautions should I take with the fondue?
With fondue, the fondue device, the pot and the fat / oil in it get very hot – there is a risk of burns! Therefore you should only fill the fondue pot halfway so that the hot liquid does not splash out or boil over.
With the fat fondue you should make sure that no fat drips into the rechaud and ignites. You should never leave it unattended! If it does start to burn in spite of everything, do not try to extinguish the fire with water, but smother the flames.
If you feel like eating raclette more, we have all the tips about raclette cheese for you here. You will also find many more recipe ideas for a traditional Christmas dinner and for your New Year's Eve dinner.