14 Comforting Recipes That Make Fondue Parties a Thing (2024)

FAQs

What are the different types of fondue dishes? ›

There are three main types: cheese fondue, oil or broth fondue and chocolate fondue. Cheese fondue Mixing a variety of cheeses is best when serving a cheese fondue. Before you start, rub a garlic clove inside the pot for added flavor. Shred all cheeses that will be used to create the fondue before melting it.

Don't drink anything but these 3 beverages: Sip only white wine, kirsch, or a tisane of herbal tea with your fondue meal. According to Swiss lore, any other drink—be it water, juice, or beer—will cause the melted cheese to coagulate and form a giant ball in your stomach, leaving you with debilitating indigestion.

The best cuts of beef for fondue include top sirloin, ribeye, and tenderloin. Cut or slice the meat according to personal preference. Some prefer to slice steaks into long strips, while others cube the meat into small pieces. Prepare the fondue oil or broth according to the recipe's directions.

Vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, carrots, and zucchini are delicious if roasted first. Or steam some green beans, pearl onions, and radishes, or a variety of baby potatoes like Yukon Gold, fingerling, red, or purple.

The best all-around cheeses for fondue are fontina, Gruyère, and gouda. If you aren't sure what to pick, use even amounts of these three. Together are lush and complex. For classic Swiss cheese fondue (meaning one like what you would find in Switzerland), a mix of traditional, firm mountain-style cheeses is best.

Accompaniments often include potatoes, cornichon, and pickled pearl onions. Accompanying beverages are white wine, tea, and occasionally a glass of kirsch. Although locals consider fondue a main course, you'll be able to enjoy it as an entree or an appetizer as you dine in the Swiss Alps.

The recommended non-alcoholic beverage is hot tea. Many Swiss believe, and indeed insist, that it is crucial to avoid drinking cold beverages with fondue, as they are thought to cause the cheese to coagulate in the stomach and potentially cause very uncomfortable digestive distress.

Bread is the main accompaniment, although boiled potatoes, charcuterie, and cornichons or other pickles can also be served. Veggies, fruit, and boiled eggs are not traditionally used in Swiss fondue. Take a piece of bread and spear it firmly on your fondue fork so that the crust is on the outside.

What do French eat with fondue? ›

This classic recipe from Savoie in the Alps of eastern France makes a delightful start to a dinner, or can be a meal in itself, accompanied by cured meats (prosciutto, bresaola, thinly sliced hard sausage), little boiled potatoes, cornichons (little pickles) and a green salad to lighten things up.

Fondue rules

You must not double dip, and never put your fork directly into your mouth.

Even today, Swiss consider fondue as a winter meal--a one-pot meal of comfort food to be enjoyed family style. It's generally just the tourists that consume fondue in summer months. Fondue is traditionally made and served in an earthenware pot known as a caquelon.