Cheddar fondue is a complex blend of cheese, butter, beer, wine, garlic, and other seasonings. It can be made with sharp or mild cheddar and is often paired with beer. Swiss and French fondues typically use wine or kirsch. Fondue is traditionally made with Swiss gruyere and French or Italian alpine style cheese. The heat for the melting pot is closely monitored and a three-course meal is customary in many fondue restaurants.
Contrary to popular belief, the Swiss invention of fondue doesn’t just involve melted cheese used to cook various meats and vegetables. Cheddar fondue, for example, is often a complex blend of not only cheese but also additives such as butter, beer, wine, garlic, and other seasonings. These combine to coat the skewered ingredients with a rich, distinctive flavor.
The type of cheese used to make a cheddar cheese fondue varies according to taste. Some use sharp cheddar to develop a saltier, spicier end product. Others prefer a milder cheddar or even a blend with other cheeses like Swiss, Gruyere or Fontina.
Cheddar cheese fondue often provides a solid foundation for adding beer to the mix. This is a German tradition that contrasts with the trends of Swiss and French fondues, which usually include wine or a sweet and sour brandy called kirsch instead. According to celebrity chef Rachel Ray, a sharp cheddar pairs well with mushroom-shaded gruyere, which is melted over medium heat with a lager, along with some flour, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and even a touch of hot sauce. The cheese is slowly added to the boiling beer, not the other way around.
Fondue is considered the national dish of Switzerland. Historically, cheddar fondue doesn’t enter the equation. Instead, the dish usually includes a blend of Swiss gruyere and a French or Italian alpine style such as comte or fontina, respectively. These are blended in a base of white wine and/or kirsch, together with garlic and occasionally herbs such as thyme or rosemary. A little flour or cornstarch is also added to keep the texture melted.
The heat for the melting pot, or caquelon, is closely monitored. If it’s too hot the cheese will burn. When the heat isn’t hot enough, the cheese won’t hold the correct texture.
A three-course caquelon meal is customary in many fondue restaurants. This usually begins with a gruyere, Swiss or cheddar fondue, into which skewered bread and vegetables are dipped. Then the oil is heated in another caquelon for skewers of meat such as chicken, beef or shellfish that will be cooked by the diners at the table, together with other vegetables. These are then dipped in a variety of accompanying sauces. Later, for dessert, diners are often offered a caquelon of melted chocolate for the final dipping of cakes and fruit.
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