Fondue: The joys of huddling over a bowl of melted cheese
by Mary Bailey
Maybe it’s because of Covid and not being able to see a lot of people. Maybe it was having cheese fondue this summer at the incomparable Walliser Stube at Chateau Lake Louise. Maybe it’s the ’90s vibe happening in food right now.
Whatever it is, it wasn’t hard to put together a small group to visit the Northern Light Dining Experience, three-course gourmet fondue, at the University of Alberta Botanic Gardens. We gathered around a table in a heated dome to enjoy cheese fondue, then hot broth fondue with dipping sauces, followed by chocolate fondue, which we poured as a sauce over the fruit, as our fondue forks were hopelessly muddled by that point. An embarrassment of riches? Yes! But it was fun and just frosty enough to welcome the warmth of the cozy domes.
Cheese fondue dates back to 18th century Switzerland. Cheesemaking villages like Gruyère knew that a pot of gooey cheese was just right for dipping stale bread, small potatoes and other winter vegetables. Broth-based fondues are from further east, think Chinese hot pot or Japanese shabu-shabu. Yes, you can make a hot oil fondue too, but we’re not going to do that, too messy and potentially dangerous to do at home.
Carl Charest, director of the Botanic Gardens, grew up in Quebec City and Drummondville. “I love fondue,” he says. “My mother made it on Sundays, we would sit around with family and friends. My dad is done after 30 minutes, but we spend the entire evening chatting and enjoying each other’s company over fondue. We tried them all—cheese and fondue Bourguignonne (dipping meat in boiling oil), but we preferred fondue chinoise (hot broth).
“Our focus at the Botanic Garden is community engagement. Our experience is all about slowly reconnecting with nature and creating experiences that stimulate the happy hormones. The concept of fondue is the perfect match. Fondue aligns with our concept of calming (not trying to stimulate the senses) so people can relax. They can focus on a good glass of wine, eat some very good fondue, celebrate with being with loved ones.”
Hospitality professionals Cindy Lazarenko and Sherry Honey operated the Northern Light Dining Experience. “I was new to fondue,” said Cindy. “I had always thought it was awkward with too many pieces. Then we did this. Making fondue from scratch wasn’t possible given the circumstances and the distance between the kitchen area and the domes. Carl sourced two products he was familiar with, Chic! Cheese Fondue and Canton Broth, both from Quebec. We had our hands full with that, preparing the accompaniments, heating the fondues and bringing them to the food truck near the domes to keep warm.
“When I walked into the dome area for the first time I was transported,” says Cindy. “Seeing people tucked into the domes, gathered around the pots, all steamy and warm—it was magical.”
If you have made mayonnaise, making fondue from scratch is similar. Essentially it is an emulsion of oil and water. The wine, which adds moisture and flavour, helps the structure of cheese fondue due to its tartaric acid which alters the casein (protein found in cheese) allowing the cheese mixture to emulsify into a lovely, runny, tasty, cohesive mass. The alcohol cooks off. The citric acid in lemon juice works the same as does sodium citrate (often found in cheese fondue mixes) which kitchen scientists might want to play around with for their fondue.
The cornstarch helps stabilize the cheese mixture. You can use flour and some recipes call for it, but generally cornstarch is best, leaving less of a flavour imprint.
Cheeses that melt are best for fondue—Swiss chesses such as Gruyère and Emmentaler and Italian mountain cheese like a young Asiago or Taleggio. Cheeses that don’t melt (aged cheeses, goats cheese, feta) are not good candidates for cheese fondue.
A good bread is key—sourdough, baguette (the Paysanne baguette from Bonjour Boulangerie is lovely with fondue). You are going to taste the bread so buy or make something nice. As well, dip small cooked potatoes, cornichons, cherry tomatoes, sausage or air-dried beef, like the Swiss. Some recipes say to stir in one direction only, others say a figure eight. Do what feels best—the key is constant stirring.
And mind your forks. Our friend Greg had to remind us to use our fondue forks for dipping only, depositing the dipped items onto our plates.
Cheese Fondue
Classic Swiss Cheese Fondue
| ½ lb | Gruyère, shredded |
| ½ lb | Emmental, shredded |
| 2 T | cornstarch |
| fresh-cracked pepper, to taste | |
| freshly grated nutmeg, to taste | |
| 1 clove | garlic, peeled and halved |
| 1¼ c | dry white wine with good acidity (Riesling, dry Furmint, Sauv Blanc) |
| 1 T | fresh lemon juice |
| 1 oz | kirsch (or brandy) optional, but deepens flavour |
Get the accompaniments ready or have someone else do it while you are making the fondue mixture on the stove top.
Place the shredded cheese in a small bowl with the cornstarch, pepper and nutmeg and toss to coat. Reserve. Rub the inside of the pot with garlic. Discard the garlic. Add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer. Add the cheese, gradually, a handful at a time, stirring constantly. When very smooth and hot, add the kirsch and season. Transfer to a fondue pot over low heat and serve.
Accompaniments
Chunks of good quality bread, cornichons, small par-cooked potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower florets, cherry tomatoes, sliced Meuwly’s or Italian sausage or air-dried beef.
Beer Fondue
The lactic acid in the buttermilk acts like the tartaric acid in the wine.
| 1½ c | buttermilk |
| ½ c | beer (we used Blindman Long Shadows, or use malty dark beer like Alley Kat’s Beuna Vista) |
| 1lb | Taleggio, Swiss, Comte or Jack cheese, shredded or a mixture to equal a pound |
| 2 T | cornstarch |
| 2 T | Dijon mustard |
| ¼ t | white pepper, to taste |
Heat the buttermilk and beer on medium heat until it bubbles. It might look curdled but it will come back together. Mix the cheese and cornstarch together. Add by handfuls to buttermilk mixture, stirring constantly until the cheese melts. Stir in the mustard and white pepper, taste and adjust seasonings. Transfer the cheese mixture to a fondue pot and keep warm over low heat.
Accompaniments
Chunks of good bread or German pretzel, bits of sausage and cornichons are terrific to dip in beer fondue.
Broth Fondue
Broth fondues are easy, but here are a few tips to get you started. “Heat up the broth, bringing it to a boil, then turn down to low. If it stays on a hard boil, it will reduce too much,” says Cindy.“If you are using potatoes, par boil in salted water. I like to use sirloin, cut the beef thin and roll it up. Don’t marinate the meats, it will change the flavour of the broth. Additional flavour comes from the dips.”
If you have leftovers, drink it, or do like Carl Charest: “When I’m done my fondue, I put in a few eggs and make soup. Or add rice noodles, to make a delicious pho-style soup.”
Roasted Garlic Broth
This recipe (adapted from Ricardo) is ideal for a beef or game hot broth fondue. You could also dip potatoes and green beans or broccoli florets.
| 3 heads | garlic |
| 3 T | olive oil |
| 1 | onion, finely chopped |
| ½ c | red wine |
| 6 c | home-made beef stock |
| salt and pepper |
With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the top of each garlic head. Place them individually on aluminum foil sheets and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil. Close the foil. Bake for 50 minutes or until the garlic is tender and caramelized. Squeeze the garlic purée out of each head and reserve.
Meanwhile, in saucepan, brown the onion. Deglaze with the wine and reduce by half. Add the broth and garlic purée. Bring to a boil and simmer about 5 minutes. Season to taste and transfer to the fondue pot.
Asian-style Broth
The beautiful aromatics and flavours of this broth work well with pork tenderloin, beef, par-boiled carrots, Asian vegetables such as bok choy.
| 1 T | sesame oil |
| 8 | shiitake mushrooms, stems and caps separated |
| 3 cloves | garlic, smashed |
| 3 | green onions, sliced, greens and whites separated |
| 2-inch | fresh ginger, peeled and sliced |
| 1 stalk | lemongrass, smashed |
| 4 c | homemade beef or chicken stock |
| ½ c | water |
| 3 T | soy sauce |
| 2 whole | star anise |
| few sprigs of cilantro | |
| 1 T | sesame seeds |
Heat the sesame oil on medium low. Add the mushroom stems, garlic, the whites of the green onions, ginger and lemongrass. Stir for 2 minutes, then add broth, water, soy, star anise and cilantro. Bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the flavours infuse for 20 minutes. Strain the broth and discard the aromatics. Return the broth to the fondue pot and bring to a boil. Place the fondue pot on the fondue stand and light the burner. Add the tops of the green onions and sesame seeds to the broth. Serves 4-6.
Blue Flame Kitchen’s Chicken Broth Fondue
Use with pork, chicken, shrimp or vegetables.
| 8 c | home-made or no-salt-added chicken stock |
| 1 c | water |
| 1 T | grated fresh ginger |
| 2 | green onions, sliced |
| 2 cloves | garlic, crushed |
| 8 | black peppercorns |
| salt to taste |
In a large saucepan, combine broth, water, ginger, onions, garlic and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat; let stand for 30 minutes. Strain; season with salt. Transfer to a metal fondue pot and keep hot. May be prepared and refrigerated up to 24 hours.
Dipping Sauces for Broth Fondue
Place a dollop of each sauce on each plate or, better yet, divide into small bowls and give each person a set. Three dipping sauces is a good start for a hot broth fondue.
Vietnamese-style Dipping Sauce for Shrimp, Chicken, Pork or Veg
| ½ c | grated carrot |
| 2 T | sugar |
| 2 cloves | garlic, crushed |
| ½ c | water |
| ¼ c | fish sauce (or to taste) |
| ¼ c | lime juice |
| 1 T | rice vinegar |
| 2 | serrano chilies (or Thai chilies), seeded and thinly sliced) |
| ¼ t | black pepper |
Mix all the ingredients until the sugar has dissolved, then divide into four little bowls.
Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce for Beef or Chicken
| 4 T | crème fraîche (or mayonnaise) |
| 2 t | lemon juice |
| dash | (or to taste) Spanish smoked paprika |
| ½ c | crumbled blue cheese |
| 2 T | chives (snipped, optional) |
| dash salt to taste |
Mix all the ingredients together and divide into four little bowls.
Miso Dipping Sauce for Shrimp, Pork, Beef, Vegetables
| 1 c | mayonnaise |
| 2 T | white miso |
| 1 T | mirin |
| 2 t | sesame oil |
| ½ | lime, zest and juice |
| salt and fresh-cracked pepper, to taste |
Mix all the ingredients, then divide into four little bowls.
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce for Pork, Chicken, Veg or Beef
| 6 T | mayonnaise (or crème fraîche or Greek-style yogurt) |
| Dijon mustard | |
| honey (or to taste) | |
| lemon juice | |
| pinch salt and fresh-cracked black pepper |
Mix all ingredients together and divide into four little bowls.
Asian-style Dipping Sauce for Shrimp, Pork or Beef
| mirin | |
| ½ c | rice vinegar |
| ¼ c | tamari |
| 2 T | chopped fresh coriander |
| 1 | green onion, thinly sliced |
| 2 t | sambal oelek (or to taste) |
Mix all ingredients together and divide into four little bowls.
Dessert Fondue
Chocolate Fondue
The Northern Light team served the Jacek fondue with fresh (mandarin orange segments, strawberries) and dried fruit and large marshmallows. You could add chunks of panettone, fruitcake or cookies.
| 1 lb | high quality chocolate (a mix of milk and dark, or bittersweet and semi-sweet) chopped |
| 2 c | heavy (35 per cent) whipping cream |
| 1 T | vanilla extract or the seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod |
| 1 T | liqueur or other spirit (raspberry, orange or hazelnut liqueur, Kahlúa, Scotch, brandy) optional |
Place the chocolate in a large bowl. Heat the cream and vanilla until just starting to simmer, then pour over the chopped chocolate. Wait a minute before stirring, then stir with a spatula until the chocolate is incorporated in the cream and no visible streaks remain. The mixture should be silky smooth. Pour into the fondue pot. Place the fondue pot on the fondue stand and light the burner. Keep the heat low and stir occasionally to keep from sticking.
The University of Alberta Northern Light Dining Experience has been extended into the spring. Visit botanicgarden.ualberta.ca for details.
Fondue Pots
Fondue pots are no longer flimsy things lit with a votive candle. The new pots are sturdy, made from cast iron or stainless steel and are meant to last.
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The Swissmar cast iron fondue set, suitable for meat, cheese and chocolate fondues, available in three colours with a wood base. Six colourcoded forks, rechaud (the stand with burner) and removable splatter guard included, $132.
The Swissmar Arosa stainless steel fondue set has a ceramic insert that acts as a double boiler, so you can use it for meat, cheese, and chocolate fondue. The set include the stainless bowl, ceramic insert, six numbered forks, rechaud and removable splatter guard, $135.
The Swissmar Lausanne copper fondue set is similar to the Arosa set except is it made from copper-plated stainless steel, $165. Fire gel sold separately and replacement ceramic inserts are available.
The Staub cast iron fondue set matches all your other lovely Staub cocottes and Dutch ovens, with rechaud, cast iron base and six forks, on sale until the end of January, $300.
Find at Heart of the Home, Barb’s Kitchen Centre and Bella Casa. Not all styles at all stores.