When a large company has gathered at the table, a classic fondue can become an excellent treat, because it is so nice to be with family and friends, to talk to your heart's content and enjoy the refined taste of this delicacy.
A little about the history of fondue
The name of this dish in French means "melted". According to legend, fondue first appeared thanks to shepherds who lived in the Swiss Alps in the 14th century. When they went to the mountains to graze their herds for a long time, their main food was wine, bread and, of course, they could not do without Swiss cheese. But after a few days the bread became stale and the cheese dry. And then the shepherds came up with a way out: heat the wine in a cauldron, melt dried cheese in it and dip pieces of stale bread into this hot mixture. The food came out very tasty and satisfying.
Over the years, the recipe became more complicated, new variations of this dish appeared. Now they cook Italian (with mushrooms), Burgundy (with the addition of cherry liqueur), vegetable, fish, meat and even chocolate fondues. But if you want to experience the exquisite taste of a real Swiss dish, it is better to prepare it in the classic version.
Classic fondue: recipe
You will need: dry white wine - 200-250 ml; 600 g of Swiss cheese (it is better to use several varieties at once, "Gruyere", "Emmental" is well suited); 1 tablespoon cherry liqueur 2 teaspoons of starch; 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice a pinch of black pepper; nutmeg; garlic - 1 clove; 400 g of white bread.
To prepare fondue, it is better to purchase a special dish - fondue dish. Before cooking, it must be grated properly, smeared with a clove of garlic from the inside and left at the bottom of the vessel. After that, put on fire and pour white dry wine, adding lemon juice.
After 2-3 minutes, it is necessary to pour cheese, previously grated on a coarse grater, into the warmed wine. During this process, the dish must be constantly stirred: until the cheese shavings melt (it is advisable to stir not in a circle, but in an eight - the Swiss believe that this matters). When the cheese is completely melted, turn up the heat and let the liquid boil. Then add starch diluted in cherry, grated nutmeg and pepper.
The dish is served hot in the same dish with small pieces of fried white bread, which are pricked into special forks and dipped in melted cheese. For a fondue to be truly classic, at least two people should be present at dinner, because the main feature of this dish is that it is designed to unite loved ones around a common cauldron. For drinks, dry white wine or beer is suitable.
