Dans Papers - May 25, 2007 - Fabulous Fondue

Food trends come and go as quickly as fashion trends. One day you're in, the next you're out. Luckily for us, some of those foods that were popular 20 or 30 years ago, affectionately labeled "retro," are on their way back into the mainstream foodie world.

One of those impossibly fun and funky foods is fondue. Remember fondue? Most of you will recall large pots bubbling with delicious cheese with convenient bite-sized snacks alongside, ready to take the plunge.

Believe it or not, fondue was first created in Switzerland and was a popular communal dish placed in the center of the table in a large earthenware pot over a small burner. The first known fondue party took place sometime in the late 1700s in Zurich, Switzerland.

Although the Swiss invented fondue, its name is derived from the French word "fonder," meaning to melt. The name alludes to the fact that the contents are kept in a liquid state, for easier dipping by hungry diners. Although you won't find a fondue pot in every home in America (yet), this dish is making a strong comeback.

There are a couple of different types of fondue to experiment with, and all of them have unique blends of cheese, wines and spices. The most well-known kind of fondue in America is the cheese fondue. There are tons of different varieties of cheese fondues, including the simple two-cheese recipe of Gruyere and Emmental (traditional cheeses used by the Swiss). Gruyere is a hard, sweet and slightly salty cheese, and its flavor intensifies as it ages. Emmental, a softer cheese, has a mildly sharp taste that complements the strong, sharp taste of the Gruyere when melted together. The perfect cheese fondue is kept at a constant, moderate temperature, so as to keep the cheese liquid but not to burn the mixture.

The French version of fondue consists of creamy, nutty comte Savoyard cheese, Beaufort, which is similar in flavor to Gruyere, but considered stronger in flavor, and the traditional Emmental. The three cheeses marry together, typically thinned out with white wine, to form a silky, rich, palate-pleasing concoction.

The Italians, not to be outdone by the Swiss and the French, devised their own recipe for fondue, or what they call "fonduta." The Italian fonduta consists of fontina, a mild, somewhat nutty and fruity cheese, milk, eggs and truffles, which give the dish a most sinfully delicious and rich flavor.

The eternal question is what to dip in these fabulous fondues? You are limited only by your imagination with this one. Traditionally, fondues were a delicious way to use up old bread, but nowadays you can use an assortment of vegetables like carrots, celery and broccoli. Have some leftover chicken? Set that out. Are you a fan of tofu? Why not try that? As I said, the dipping possibilities are endless, so dip away!

Lesser known fondues include the broth fondue, in which diners are offered slivers of shaved meat, traditionally beef, into a boiling pot of broth. The heat cooks the thinly sliced meat quickly and the dish is usually accompanied by any number of dipping sauces. Another variation is deep-fat fondue, and, yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of mounds of cheese or loads of broth, the fondue pot is filled with oil or butter and brought to a low simmer. The meat is cut into cubes and dipped into the oil to fry for a few seconds, using fondue forks, which are long, skinny utensils that are pronged at the end and allow diners easy access to the pot of oil.

Probably the most popular fondue in America would be the dessert fondue, which is literally a pot (or these days, a fountain) full of bubbly, warm, rich chocolate. The accompaniments for dessert fondues include a variety of fruit, such as strawberries and bananas, marshmallows, graham crackers, etc. The possibilities are limitless.

As with most communal dishes where everyone is essentially eating out of the same pot, there are certain rules of etiquette one must follow at the next fondue party. Some diehard fondue fans believe that it's rude to allow one's lips or tongue to touch the fondue fork and, with broth or oil fondues, it's customary to remove your meat from the fondue fork into your dish before consuming. Double dipping is strictly forbidden, for obvious reasons.

Fondue is highly underrated in America, and I'm glad it's making a comeback. You can't walk into a kitchen goods store these days without catching a glimpse of the latest fondue pot, complete with tea lights and forks. So get out there, buy yourself a fondue pot and the fixings, and invite your favorite friends over for one party their taste buds won't soon forget!