Since fondue is relatively easy to prepare and so expensive at restaurants (expect to pay around 30 CHF a person), we finally broke down and bought a fondue set at Manor.
We thought we would share our fondue making experience with our readers!
Ingredients for Fondue: (For two people)
Clove of garlic
400 grams of grated cheese (we chose Moitié-Moitié, description below)
150 mL of white wine (the cheapest one you can find, believe it or not the Swiss recommend it)
50 mL (a shot) of Kirsch
2 - 3 teaspoons of corn starch (in German, it's called Maisstärke)
Freshly ground pepper
Love
Dipping Accoutrements: Traditionally only bread is dipped. However, we decided to mix it up. All ingredients are cut into bite-size pieces
Bread
Potatoes
Apples
Pineapples
Fondue Preparation:
1) Cut the clove of garlic in half and rub the inside of the caquelon with it. (The Swiss Ms thinks this is unnecessary if you are adding garlic to the pot anyway, but I say it's part of the tradition and magic of cooking fondue)
2) Add wine and cheese, warm on medium-low heat to about 60 Celsius (150 Fahrenheit) and stir.
3) After the cheese has melted a little, mix together the kirsch and corn starch and add it to the cheese mixture. Keep stirring.
Note: The first time I made fondue, I was worried that the cheese and liquids would never combine, but they do. (For the engineers, it goes from a biphasic liquid/solid to a single, delicious homogenous liquid). If the cheese and wine separate later, add more corn starch mixed with a cold liquid (wine, kirsch, water, milk).
4) Place the caquelon on the table over your burner and enjoy! Spear a tasty comestible of your choosing, dip it in the fondue pot, sprinkle with some pepper if you desire, and enjoy. (Some Swiss even like to dip the bread in Kirsch before dipping it into the cheese). Make sure you don't drop your bread in the cheese. Swiss tradition says a woman has to kiss all the men at the table, while the man has to buy everyone a drink! (Swiss Ms: This works well when it's just you and your husband.)
Note: Make sure that someone is always stirring the fondue to keep it from burning. Over the course of the meal, a delicious crispy layer of cheese will form at the bottom of the pot, right over the burner called religeuse, highly prized and fought over by the Swiss! It tastes like a Cheez-it.
Fondue Cheese Review:
Moitié-Moitié
Moitié-Moitié is half Gruyère and half Vacherin Fribourgeois cheese, and is absolutely delicious. This mixture is the most popular type of fondue and once you taste it, you'll know why. The combination of spicy Gruyère and softly melting Vacherin makes for the perfect, melty pot of cheese. While we did not smell the cheese while we were eating, you could definitely tell when you left the room and came back. In fact, when the Swiss Ms. went to the gym, she realized her workout clothes still smelled like dinner!
Appenzeller (Swiss Ms' First Fondue)
While Moitié-Moitié was our first attempt at cooking our own fondue, the Swiss Ms' first fondue experience was with Appenzeller.
Valais Style (My First Fondue)
My research group took a day retreat to Riederalp in the canton of Valais, where we spent the day talking about science while snow-shoeing and eating fondue!
I don't remember specifically what cheeses and ingredients are in this fondue. It seems that there are as many recipes for fondue as there are people who make it. Everyone has their own unique recipe or "special ingredient."
So far, my favorite is Moitié-Moitié and the Swiss Ms' favorite is Appenzeller.
As you can see, there's more than one way to do fondue. We cannot wait to try the others!
-Herr Cervelat
 |
| Our beautiful set! Includes six skewers, a burner, fondue pot holder and fondue pot (caquelon). (Flowers not included) |
We thought we would share our fondue making experience with our readers!
Ingredients for Fondue: (For two people)
Clove of garlic
400 grams of grated cheese (we chose Moitié-Moitié, description below)
150 mL of white wine (the cheapest one you can find, believe it or not the Swiss recommend it)
50 mL (a shot) of Kirsch
2 - 3 teaspoons of corn starch (in German, it's called Maisstärke)
Freshly ground pepper
Love
 |
| Ready to go. |
Dipping Accoutrements: Traditionally only bread is dipped. However, we decided to mix it up. All ingredients are cut into bite-size pieces
Bread
Potatoes
Apples
Pineapples
Fondue Preparation:
1) Cut the clove of garlic in half and rub the inside of the caquelon with it. (The Swiss Ms thinks this is unnecessary if you are adding garlic to the pot anyway, but I say it's part of the tradition and magic of cooking fondue)
2) Add wine and cheese, warm on medium-low heat to about 60 Celsius (150 Fahrenheit) and stir.
3) After the cheese has melted a little, mix together the kirsch and corn starch and add it to the cheese mixture. Keep stirring.
 |
| The cornstarch/kirsch/white wine/cheese. |
 |
| With a little patience, gentle heating and much stirring comes success. |
Note: The first time I made fondue, I was worried that the cheese and liquids would never combine, but they do. (For the engineers, it goes from a biphasic liquid/solid to a single, delicious homogenous liquid). If the cheese and wine separate later, add more corn starch mixed with a cold liquid (wine, kirsch, water, milk).
4) Place the caquelon on the table over your burner and enjoy! Spear a tasty comestible of your choosing, dip it in the fondue pot, sprinkle with some pepper if you desire, and enjoy. (Some Swiss even like to dip the bread in Kirsch before dipping it into the cheese). Make sure you don't drop your bread in the cheese. Swiss tradition says a woman has to kiss all the men at the table, while the man has to buy everyone a drink! (Swiss Ms: This works well when it's just you and your husband.)
 |
| 400 grams of cheese went down easy. (Swiss Ms: Too easy.) |
Note: Make sure that someone is always stirring the fondue to keep it from burning. Over the course of the meal, a delicious crispy layer of cheese will form at the bottom of the pot, right over the burner called religeuse, highly prized and fought over by the Swiss! It tastes like a Cheez-it.
Fondue Cheese Review:
Moitié-Moitié
 |
| Commonly found at COOP and Migros. |
Moitié-Moitié is half Gruyère and half Vacherin Fribourgeois cheese, and is absolutely delicious. This mixture is the most popular type of fondue and once you taste it, you'll know why. The combination of spicy Gruyère and softly melting Vacherin makes for the perfect, melty pot of cheese. While we did not smell the cheese while we were eating, you could definitely tell when you left the room and came back. In fact, when the Swiss Ms. went to the gym, she realized her workout clothes still smelled like dinner!
Appenzeller (Swiss Ms' First Fondue)
While Moitié-Moitié was our first attempt at cooking our own fondue, the Swiss Ms' first fondue experience was with Appenzeller.
 |
| Unlike the Moitié-Moitié recipe, which had to be combined with other ingredients, this one was already prepared. Appenzeller is a slightly sharp cheese, that the advertising copy describes as "spicy". |
 |
| The packet already had the correct amount of cornstarch/wine/kirsch/cheese. |
 |
| Just heat slowly until it melts completely. |
 |
| Unbelievably, it took us almost a full year to try fondue. |
 |
| Being shown how to eat fondue properly by our local Zurich host. |
 |
| The crispy layer of burnt cheese at the bottom of the pot (religeuse). Yum! |
Valais Style (My First Fondue)
My research group took a day retreat to Riederalp in the canton of Valais, where we spent the day talking about science while snow-shoeing and eating fondue!
I don't remember specifically what cheeses and ingredients are in this fondue. It seems that there are as many recipes for fondue as there are people who make it. Everyone has their own unique recipe or "special ingredient."
 |
| The fondue looked like there were two different kinds of melted cheese in the pot. While tasty, the Swiss in my group did not like this fondue at all, saying it was too garlicky and salty. |
So far, my favorite is Moitié-Moitié and the Swiss Ms' favorite is Appenzeller.
As you can see, there's more than one way to do fondue. We cannot wait to try the others!
-Herr Cervelat
OMNOMNOM.
ReplyDeleteBut wait, wasn't there also some party foul that requires you to run outside naked once around the block?
The rules for dropping bread in the pot are determined by the host, so make sure you know the penalty beforehand!
ReplyDeleteWe were excited about trying fondue until we heard about the various penalties (but we will certainly try it anyway).
ReplyDelete