Slam Dunk
Score culinary points by getting inventive with these fondue tips.
The '70s may have given us disco, leisure suits and platform shoes, but it also showed us a fun way to enjoy eating cheese — fondue. "Entertaining was a little bit more accessible back in the day," says Brandon Chrostowski, founder of Edwins Restaurant in Shaker Square. "There was just this kind of free spirit and this sense of community and constant hospitality." While the Swiss tradition comes from melting leftover ingredients into a creamy mix out of necessity, you'll want to stay away from processed cheese such as cheddar. "Hard cheeses like Gruyere are often the best to use, because they're broken down naturally and internally over time," says Chrostowski. "You can cube it up and add it to a little liquid, and it builds smoothly." Once the cheese melts, you can bind it together for a thick, creamy texture, by making a slurry with 3 teaspoons of flour and a tablespoon of white wine, simmering the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring it to a fondue pot.
Cheese Please
Edwins Restaurant founder Brandon Chrostowski uses these cheeses in his fondue.
Comte
Popular in France,this cheese is best when aged 18 to 22 months, which adds a nutty fruit-like quality to counteract bitterness.
Emmental
With a medium-bodied texture, this Swiss cheese provides a necessary thickness and has just enough bite to carry the fondue well enough on its own.
Vacherin Fribourgeois
You don't need much of this firm, Swiss cheese because it packs quite a punch, adding just enough funk to provide a smooth, comforting flavor profile.
Cheese Fondue
Servings: 5
2 pounds mixed cheeses — comte, emmental and vacherin fribourgois
1 1/2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup Jacquere (or other dry white wine)
1 ½ ounce Kirsch brandy
3 teaspoon flour
White pepper and nutmeg to taste
Heat Jacquere, Kirsch and garlic in a saucepan on medium.
Let wine simmer for 2 minutes. Add white pepper and nutmeg. Remove the garlic and begin to add cheese.
Stir over medium heat until the cheese melts.
Make a slurry by mixing flour and a tablespoon or two of the white wine.
Add the slurry to the cheese mixture. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer saucepan to fondue pot. Serve with cubes of crusty or slightly stale bread.
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Take a Dip
Kimberly McCune Gibson, owner of Hungry Bee, gives us three unexpected dippers to use with her port wine and chocolate fondue recipe.
Ice Cream Sandwiches
You'll want to get in and get out fast with this cool and creamy dessert. Break off pieces and dunk one bite at a time so the hot chocolate will add just enough of a coat.
Roasted Venison
By pairing roasted venison or deer jerky with chocolate, you'll pull out all the earthy flavors that come ingrained naturally in the meat.
Honeycombs
Instead of the usual chocolate-dipped pretzels, consider honeycombs sprinkled with sea salt. It's all natural and organic, and the honeycomb's smooth texture melts in your mouth.
Port Wine and Chocolate Fondue
Servings: 4-6
1 cup premium cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup port wine
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
Sift the cocoa into mixing bowl and set aside.
Place the water, sugar and corn syrup into a pot and bring to a boil.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until sugar solution has reduced by about 30 percent.
Pour the cocoa powder into the mixture and blend with a whisk until smooth.
Return the chocolate mixture to the stove and continue cooking over medium heat.
Add heavy cream, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 more minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in chopped chocolate.
Pour into fondue pot and keep warm.
Roasted venison and cherry fondue accompaniments
Servings: 4-8
12 to 18 whole cloves
3 1/2 pounds venison roast
1 onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
1 carrot, sliced into ½-inch thick pieces
2 cups sherry
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces thick-cut bacon
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups pitted cherries
The day before roasting,stick cloves in the top of the roast at roughly even intervals and place in a
sealable plastic bag. Top with onion, garlic, bay leaves, vinegars and carrots, then pour sherry over the meat. Seal
and chill overnight 12 hours. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Remove meat and vegetables from marinade. Toss vegetables with 2 tablespoons oil and spread in a single layer on a sheet pan. Place meat in separate roasting pan. Lay strips of bacon over top of meat. Place meat and vegetables in oven. After 5 minutes, turn off oven heat and let venison roast 90 minutes. Check temperature with a meat thermometer after an hour. Oven times vary with this technique and venison is best enjoyed medium-rare.
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Mix Master
Scrape and Stir ଠGet to the bottom of your pot with your spatula, and stir constantly over low heat. "If you add too much heat and you don't agitate the sauce by stirring, it will burn really easily," Mytro says.
Fine Tuning ଠGrate your cheese instead of chunking it. "If you throw all of your cheese into that liquid all at once, it's going to drop the temperature of that liquid," he says, "and it's not going to melt as quick."
Yolk Lore ଠOnce the liquid you use for your base (either cream or wine) is hot, add a couple of egg yolks to the mix and temper them before adding the cheese. "It helps thicken it and gives it more of a velvety texture," says Mytro.
Hot Pot
With six fondue forks and a removable splatter ring, the Swissmar Sierra 11-Piece Cast Iron Fondue Set ($84.99) at the Western Reserve School of Cooking is great for a beginner's dip into fondue. The cast-iron base provides even heat distribution and keeps contents hot longer. Western Reserve School of Cooking, 140 N. Main St., Hudson, 330-650-1665, wrsoc.com
