cooking in fondue

Many of us already have a fondue set at home. It has become an ideal gift item, and it is a great pleasure to have one. But it is also true that there are those who have it parked and, honestly, I think it is a real shame! The fondue is a practical culinary utensil - with which you can quickly finish a meal or dinner -, it is fun for the diners, it is easy to prepare and clean -important, right?- and also, from my experience, it encourages communication and livens up meals, since it is, so to speak, a group activity, a dish to share, which encourages conversation.

So, convinced that the use of fondue should become more widespread, here is the advice that is essential for me: take it out of the back of the cupboard where you keep it, because it should be at hand, it should be a utensil as handy as the pan or pot that you use so often. That way you will see it, you will remember that you have that resource, and you will use it much more.

Secondly, since you'll often want to use it, try to always have special cheeses for fondue in the fridge, or melting chocolate! Or let your hair down on a day when it's not all scripted: why not use Nutella one day? Or why not make hot chocolate instead of melting chocolate?

And finally, be very clear that there are a lot of foods that you can use to dip in a fondue! Don't say that you don't have anything to make it with, because from now on that thinking is no longer valid.

Having said all this, I think it's a good time to talk about how to prepare fondue. The most common way to make fondue is with cheese or chocolate. It's not as common, although it's just as delicious and fun, to make fondue with oil. But let's go step by step.

Cheese fondues are made with special fondue cheese. You can find it in supermarkets, in the refrigerated section. To make it, you just have to melt the cheese in the fondue pot (you can do this on the stove, gas, vitro...). Once it is melted, you place it in the candle fondue holder, with the candle or fondue oil lit to keep the cheese warm. And it is ready to start dipping whatever you have prepared!

On the other hand, you have prepared the foods that will be the perfect match for the cheese. I have already said that many ingredients will work here. My advice is to leave whatever you have in mind on the table cut into cubes or strips. Most things are eaten completely raw, so preparing the table is as quick as preparing the cheese!

What can you dip in cheese? The classics are toast and vegetables (asparagus, carrots, peppers, etc.). But since it's all a matter of trying, you can discover many things that go well with cheese: we also make it with green beans, mushrooms, endives, Serrano ham, olives... even apple is great!

A little secret: to vary the taste of the cheese, you can add a little pepper one day, a little rosemary another day, season it with another spice another day, or leave it plain again. As for the ingredients, the taste of the fondue will also vary if you use them raw one day and grill them the next.

Then there is the chocolate one. The process is the same as before: melt the chocolate in the kitchen, to keep it warm and liquid on the table with the heat of the candle. Some people make it as a dessert, I prefer to do it on weekend mornings. That way we can all enjoy a good family breakfast! What to dip in chocolate is a matter of the most whimsical imagination. From the most typical fruit (strawberries, banana, apples, kiwi, watermelon, orange, ...), to the softest cakes, including sequillos, toast, digestive biscuits, croissants ... and other fruits such as peaches, grapes or red fruits.

Oil fondues are basically for frying ingredients. The important thing is to keep the oil really hot once it is on the table. Here, it is usual to make them with meat and fish, and when they are well submerged, the pieces cook in 30 seconds. Are you going to try it? Again, anything goes. Beef, pork loin, tuna, salmon... whatever you fancy, cut into cubes, and with a consistency so that it can hold up in the oil.

You see, fondue allows for all kinds of combinations. Some people prefer some, others prefer others... but if there is a sufficient variety of ingredients on the table, everyone will surely find something for themselves.

The truth is that I enjoy fondue. I enjoy eating it, and I also enjoy seeing that it is a different way for kids to eat vegetables and fruit, apart from the fact that, as I said before, it brings people together at the table!

If you don't have one at home and you fancy buying a fondue set, you have plenty to choose from! At home we have the Savoyarde and Bourguignon from Le Creuset . It's heavy, but it's a cast iron fondue set! That also helps it retain the temperature better. And it has an enamel coating that means it doesn't absorb moisture, colours or odours from food. It's easy to clean - just soak it in water, and after a while you'll be able to clean it without any difficulty. It's a joy, and when you have it in front of you it's clear that it's a real fondue set.

There is also the ceramic fondue set by Emile Henry , which is more affordable and has a traditional design that we love. It is ideal for cheese and chocolate fondues. Apart from the fondue and forks, it includes a recipe book, which is always fun to look through and get ideas, right?

A new addition from Le Creuset not long ago was the mini-cocotte fondue pot . It is a curious, elegant and, why not, funny piece. Keep in mind that the pot is a mini-cocotte, so it will serve to accompany meals and dinners, rather than being able to make fondue into a single dish. It is ideal for giving as a gift, and for getting started in the world of fondue if you are not sure if you are going to use it for now. And of course, you can use the mini-cocotte daily to present other delicacies on the table.

I won't finish this post without talking about the fondue that has stolen my heart: the Kuhn Rikon fondue : it was designed in Switzerland and made in Germany, it's made of white ceramic, and the base is made of cherry wood and a varnished nickel grid. Surely when you see the photo you'll think it's pretty. In person you'd say it's gorgeous!