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Agenda 051211 – How do you Fondue?
Getting Tipsy – Fondue Tips
The addition of alcohol to fondues lowers the boiling point so that cheese proteins will not curdle, but take care not to boil it. Save the alcohol for serving to your quests!!
Heat cheese mixtures slowly so the cheese does not become rubbery.
When multiplying fondue recipes for larger crowds, remember there is less surface area to evaporate liquids, so you will not need as much as double the liquid of the original recipe.
Sparkling cider, apple juice, or champagne may be substituted for white wine in fondue recipes.
Use a good quality cheese in cheese fondues.
Fresh herbs, roasted garlic, sauteed minced onions, tomato paste, and mustard are all excellent flavorings for cheese fondues.
For fondue that is too thick, increase the heat, add a little wine, and stir vigorously.
For fondue that is too thin, combine 1/2 teaspoon of flour or cornstarch with an equal amount of wine. Stir into fondue until thickened.
Metal pots are better for oil-fried fondues or hot-pots, while ceramic is good for cheese and chocolate.
A crockpot may be used to keep cooked fondue warm.
Wine or hot black tea are recommended accompanying beverages for fondue. Some diners claim that drinking water with fondue makes the cheese congeal in the stomach causing digestion problems.
Leftover fondue may be used as a topping for potatoes or vegetables. Refrigerate, chop, and add to omelets, frittatas, or scrambled eggs.
History – History about Fondue
The delicious dish that we know as Fondue was actually invented out of necessity in the 18th century. Swiss villagers, separated from large towns by the long, freezing winters, were rarely able to enjoy fresh food. Instead, most of the villagers relied on foods like bread and cheese, which were made in the summer and had to last through the fall and winter months.
Stale cheese (and bread for that matter) becomes very hard and doesn’t taste that pleasant. The villagers found if they heated the cheese over a fire it improved the taste and was much easier to eat. Furthermore, they discovered that the hard bread would soften when dipped into the cheese.
Soon they began mixing in wine and other seasonings to transform old cheese and bread into a flavorful meal. Fondue was born. The poorer villagers didn’t have the luxury of enough eating utensils, and they also had to gather around the fire to stay warm. These two factors probably explain why fondue is eaten out of one pot. To this day, fondue has the connotation of a communal meal.
During the sixties and seventies, people latched on to this communal image, and fondue dinner parties were extremely popular. Today fondue is enjoying a rebirth of sorts and has once again become fashionable.
Appetizer – Cheesy Garlic Fondue Recipe
Ingredients:
6 cloves garlic (unpeeled) 2 small shallots (unpeeled) 1/2 lb finely grated gruyere cheese (about 4 cups) Goats Milk Cheese 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 3/4 cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 package chevre cheese, cubed 1 baguette, cut into 4 cm chunks (about 8 cups)
Directions: 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap unpeeled garlic cloves and shallots tightly in piece of heavy duty foil. Bake for 45 minutes or until garlic is soft. Remove and discard garlic and shallot skins; chop very fine. Put gruyere cheese in medium bowl and sprinkle with flour; toss. In medium-size, heavy bottomed saucepan, combine wine, lemon juice, garlic and shallots. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and gradually add gruyere and chevre cheeses, stirring constantly until cheeses are completely melted. Transfer to fondue pot and set over fondue warmer and serve. To serve, place bread cubes in basket. Spear bread chunk with fondue fork and dip into cheese; remove from fondue fork to small plate and eat with regular fork. Serves 7-8.
Salad – Bibb Salad with Caper Dressing
Ingredients: 2 small heads bib lettuce, cores removed and halved 4 radishes, sliced 1/4 seedless cucumber, sliced 4 tablespoons capers, drained 2 tablespoons fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried 1/4 cup parsley leaves, a handful 1 small shallot, chopped or 1/2 large shallot 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar Salt and pepper 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions: Place each half-head of lettuce on individual plates cut side down so the lettuce forms a mound on the plate. Arrange the radishes and cucumber slices around each lettuce mound. Place capers, dill, parsley, shallot, vinegar, salt and pepper in a blender. Turn blender on and stream in extra-virgin olive oil. Test seasonings in the dressing. Spoon the dressing evenly over the salads, capping the lettuce.
Put it on the Side - Rice Pilaf Food Network Alton Brown
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 onion, minced 1/2 red bell pepper, minced 2 pinches kosher salt 2 cups long grain rice 2 3/4 cups chicken broth 2 strips orange zest Pinch of saffron strands, steeped in 1/4 cup hot water 1 bay leaf 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed Golden raisins and pistachios for garnish
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a heavy, wide, lidded pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onion, red pepper, and kosher salt. Sweat the onions and peppers until aromatic, stirring constantly. Add the rice and stir to coat. Continue stirring until rice smells nutty. Add chicken broth, orange zest, saffron and water, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Stir once, then cover pan with moistened dish towel (or tea towel). Place lid on pan and fold towel corners over lid. Bake for 15 minutes. Then rest at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes without removing the cover. Meanwhile, simmer peas in salted water until heated through or heat in a microwave. Remove lid from rice and turn out onto a platter. Add peas and fluff with a large fork. Add raisins and pistachios.
Main Course – Meat Fondue Recipe Choose a tender cut of beef such as tenderloin (recommended) or sirloin. The more it is aged the better. Meat should be cut into ¾ inch cubes and have all fat and sinew removed. Plan for six ounces of beef per person.
Ingredients:
Directions: 2. In a medium saucepan, heat oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Transfer to fondue pot. Do not overfill the pot. About half full works best. 3. Spear a chunk of beef/chicken with fondue fork and place in hot oil. Cook until meat is done to your satisfaction (approximately 30 seconds for rare, 45 for medium-rare, and 1 minute to well done). 4. Remove from fork and transfer to plate (fondue fork will be very hot). Eat with sauces of your choice.
Tips - Don’t worry if you don’t have a deep-frying thermometer. You can still test the temperature of the oil for cooking. Simply drop a bread cube into the oil and see if it turns golden brown within 30 seconds. Too many fondue forks in the pot at one time will lower the temperature of the oil and cause the meat to not cook properly.
Serve the meat fondue with a green salad, vegetables, or rice pilaf.
Dessert – Classic Chocolate Fondue Recipe
Ingredients:
Directions:
2. Transfer to fondue pot and keep warm with burner. Serve right away.
What to Dip: Strawberries, Bananas, Peaches, Pineapple, Mango, Apples Cherries, Angel food cake, Pound cake, Cheesecake, Cookies Marshmallows, Muffins.
Use the best chocolate you can find. If the chocolate is poor quality, the fondue may not taste that great. Conversely, a great tasting chocolate will make a wonderful fondue.
The dipping suggestions above are just that, suggestions. Go ahead and experiment. If you think something will taste good dipped in chocolate, it probably will.
Looking for more flavor in your fondue? Try a flavored liqueur. For example, a few tablespoons of Grand Marnier will give your fondue a marvelous orange flavor. A mint liqueur is also an excellent addition to try.
Lighten UP!!! Prawns Puttanesca Dietitian's tip: Rich with Mediterranean flavors — olives, anchovies and capers — this sauce cooks in 5 minutes, retaining its freshness when tossed with shrimp. Serve with pasta. By Mayo Clinic staff. Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 1/4 pounds large prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons dry white wine 4 tomatoes, peeled and seeded, then diced 1/4 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in water to rehydrate, drained and chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup chopped pitted Nicoise olives 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped 6 anchovy fillets, rinsed and finely chopped 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions: In a large, nonstick saute or frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, sprinkle with the salt and black pepper, and cook for about 3 minutes. Turn the shrimp and cook until opaque and pink, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
Add the wine and deglaze pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Add the fresh and sun-dried tomatoes and the garlic. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the tomatoes are tender, about 3 minutes.
Add all the remaining ingredients and cook for about 2 minutes longer to allow the flavors to blend. Return the shrimp to the pan and toss well to coat. Nutritional Analysis (per serving) Serves 4.
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