Fondue revival - Recipe - Brief Article

Sunset, Feb, 2000 by Linda Lau Anusasananan, Valerie Aikman-Smith

From cheese to caramel, dunk-and-dine meal makes a splashy comeback

* Flower children, baby boomers: Remember those fondue parties of the '60s and '70s? The nights we bonded around melted cheese bubbling away in a fondue pan over an alcohol flame, spearing chunks of bread, washing down hot bites with chilled jug chablis, while Bob Dylan sang "The Times They Are A-Changin'" in the background?

Well, fondue is making a big comeback. Sleek new fondue sets and beautifully revived traditional units are gracing the shelves and websites of cookware stores. Generation X is discovering, as I did back then, that fondue is a great vehicle for intimate, easy entertaining.

Today's take on fondue brings more choices. Swiss cheese is the classic, but, with a Latin variation, fondue bubbles to a new beat. The old-time meat fondue, beef chunks sizzling in hot oil, returns in a safer, fresher version that uses broth instead of oil. And an updated palate of foods to swish through the simmering broth, then into a bright array of dipping sauces, gives both French and Asian touches to fondue. For dessert, caramel-rich dulce de leche moves beyond routine chocolate fondue to another mantle for fruit and cake.

Fondue starts with a pan and a heating element (see "What's New in Fondue," page 106). The contents of the pan determine the foods to use for dunking or cooking, as well as the peripheral collection of sauces, if any. A single setup best suits a party of two to six--so all have ready access to the action. Multiply the scale of the event simply by duplicating the fondue arrangement at other tables. Long fondue forks or skewers serve as cooking and eating utensils. Each person needs a plate for collecting tidbits, and plenty of napkins.

As a fondue vet, let me share why I still like these parties: I do the shopping and chopping, my guests do the cooking and serving. Now that's easy.

Bouillabaisse Fondue

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 30 minutes

NOTES: Use a cooking pan, metal chafing dish without the water bath jacket, a metal fondue pan, or an electric fondue pan with heat turned to high.

MAKES: 4 to 6 servings

12 to 18 red thin-skinned potatoes (1 1/2 in. wide), scrubbed

1/2 pound boned, skinned firm-flesh fish such as halibut

1/2 pound sea scallops

1/2 pound shrimp (31 to 40 per lb.), shelled and deveined

Bouillabaisse broth (recipe follows)

Rouille (recipe follows)

Croutons (recipe follows)

1. In a 3- to 4-quart pan over high heat, bring about 1 quart water to a boil. Add potatoes. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain; keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, rinse fish, scallops, and shrimp; pat dry. Cut fish into 1/4-inchthick slices about 2 inches long. Cut scallops crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut shrimp in half lengthwise. Arrange fish, scallops, and shrimp on a flat dish.

3. In a 3-quart metal chafing dish or pan over high heat, bring all the broth to a boil. If using a 2-quart fondue pan, fill it halfway with boiling broth (keep remaining broth hot; cover and set over lowest heat on a range).

4. Set container over an ignited alcohol or canned solid-fuel flame. Adjust for maximum heat. Place potatoes, seafood, rouille, and croutons alongside.

5. Spear potatoes or seafood, 1 piece at a time, on fondue forks or thin skewers (metal or wood) and immerse in broth. Cook potatoes until warm or hot, and seafood until barely opaque in thickest part, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Dip hot foods into rouille to taste, or spread rouille onto croutons to eat. If broth stops simmering, return to high heat on a range burner until boiling. Return to fondue burner. As broth in 2-quart pan evaporates, add remaining broth.

6. When potatoes and seafood are consumed, ladle cooking broth into bowls. Spread any remaining croutons with remaining rouille; eat while sipping broth.

Per serving: 511 cal., 28% (144 cal.) from fat; 33 g protein; 16 g fat (2.6 g sat.); 49 g carbo (2.7 g fiber); 781 mg sodium; 72 mg chol.

Bouillabaisse Broth

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 30 minutes

NOTES: If making up to 1 day ahead, cover and chill.

MAKES: About 6 cups; 4 to 6 servings

In a 2 1/2- to 3-quart pan over medium-high heat, frequently stir 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 cup chopped onion, 1 cup chopped fennel, and 3 peeled, pressed doves garlic until onion is limp, about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth, 1 cup dry white wine, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1/16 teaspoon powdered saffron or 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until vegetables are soft when pressed, about 15 minutes. Measure broth; if less than 6 cups, add more fat-skimmed chicken broth or water.

Per serving: 73 cal., 9.9% (7.2 cal.) from fat; 7.1 g protein; 0.8 g fat (0.1 g sat.); 2.5 g carbo (0 g fiber); 96 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Rouille

PREP TIME: About 5 minutes

NOTES: If making up to 1 day ahead, cover and chill.

MAKES: About 1 cup

In a small bowl, mix 1 cup reduced-fat or regular mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne.