Sweet and Savory Fondue Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are the four types of fondue? ›

There are four commonly prepared types of fondue. They are cheese fondue, chocolate fondue, oil fondue (also known as meat fondue), and broth fondue.

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.

Both savory and sweet versions are usually heavy, so a fondue for dinner and one for dessert is a bit much. If you're serving cheesy dips as your main course, serve fruit for dessert. On another night, host a dessert-only fondue party with lots of chocolate or creamy butterscotch fondue.

Fondue rules

You must not double dip, and never put your fork directly into your mouth. You can grab it off with just your teeth, but the best way is to slide it onto your plate and use a regular fork to eat it.

When making fondue, the first thing to consider is what type of ingredients you want to use; if you are a vegetarian, you may prefer the oil. The oil is also a healthier option because it contains no fat or calories. However, if you like meat and cheese, the broth is better because it has more flavors.

Olive oil, while delicious, is not the best choice for fondue because it has a strong flavour and a relatively low smoke point. Instead, consider using Canola oil, which is inexpensive, has a neutral flavour, and has a high smoke point. Peanut oil, grapeseed oil, and sunflower seed oil are good options.

The best cut of beef for fondue

Now isn't the time to go for budget steak, so indulging in higher-price, higher-quality meat cuts such as sirloin, tenderloin, and even filet mignon is the way to go. These cuts are all tender, rich in flavor, and all but guaranteed to stay juicy after cooking.

What Are the Best Gruyère Substitutes? There are plenty of other premier cheeses that can serve as good substitutes for Gruyère cheese. Depending on whether you're melting cheese or adding more variety to your charcuterie board, you might consider Beaufort, Comté, Jarlsberg, Emmental, or Fontina.

Bread is the most popular dipper for cheese fondue. There are many excellent options to choose from. French bread, breadsticks, and croutons are always favorites, but also consider multigrain bread, rye, sourdough, pumpernickel, and even bagels.

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 side dishes go with fondue? ›

There are so many options to choose from for this classic side, such as French baguettes, sourdough, breadsticks, bagels, croutons or pretzels.

The dessert

If you still have room for dessert after your fondue, you are probably looking for something light. A delicious sorbet, light ice cream or even a fresh fruit salad are all great options for rounding off the meal. An airy mousse is also not too heavy.

Recommendation is not to drink water with a cheese fondue - in Switzerland people usually drink (Swiss) white wine with a fondue. When not wine, then tea (I drink when I have to drive after a fondue). Some people add a glass of Kirsch.

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.

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.

In Switzerland, the main ingredients are Gruyère and vacherin from Fribourg, in equal parts (it is called, fittingly, 'moitié – moitié'). In France, it is often made from French cheeses like Comté, Beaufort and Emmental - which is the recipe for the classic Fondue Savoyarde, from the Alpine region of Savoie.

As such, these pots are made of stainless steel, copper, or cast iron. Note: ceramic pots are not suitable for hot oil fondue.

This German meat fondue (or fleischfondue) is cooked in hot broth instead of hot oil, which is delicious and lower in fat, which many people prefer.