Fondues are back. And this time it’s not all about gooey cheese

YOU probably thought fondue parties had been left behind in the 1970s along with flares, Arctic rolls and avocado bathroom suites.

But suddenly, those bubbling pots of cheese are returning to middle-class tables up and down the country.

As the weather gets colder, sales of fondue sets are on the up.

So what’s all the fuss about? Well, fondue is no longer just the heavy, cheesy dish of Abigail’s Party or apresski dinners. From steak cooked in red wine to strawberries dipped in salted caramel, the new breed of fondue is much more imaginative.

Chef Armin Loetscher who owns Swiss restaurant St Moritz, says: ‘We have eight different types on our menu — and it’s never been more popular. We serve at least 100 a day.’

But is this new generation of fondue a fabulous winter warmer, or just too fiddly? LUCY HOLDEN put eight to the test, with help from Armin.

FESTIVE AND BOOZY

IN FONDUE Bourguignonne, thin slices of meat are dipped into a fondue of hot oil by guests — but this twist, Fondue Bacchus, uses wine instead of oil.

As with all the dishes that follow, this starts on the stove and is moved to a fondue stand to serve.

Armin gently fries a garlic clove and half a cup of diced onion on the cooker then adds it to the fondue pot, which he fills two-thirds full with hot pinot noir, a light red wine, before adding rosemary and seasoning.

He transfers the wine to the fondue pot and places it on the stand, ready for finely sliced strips of good-quality raw sirloin or fillet steak to be cooked.

Using long-handled forks you only need to dip the meat into the hot wine for as little as ten seconds for it to be cooked rare. French mustard and Bearnaise sauce are served as dips.

LUCY SAYS: This floods the kitchen with a Christmassy smell. Cooking the meat in wine gives it so much flavour.

ARMIN SAYS: This recipe is dependent on the quality of the meat — never scrimp. Pinot Noir and Pinotage work well as they aren’t too heavy. Don’t worry about the cooking process either — beef is safe even after dunking for just a few seconds. 8/10

DREAMY CARAMEL

FOR a salted caramel fondue, Armin makes caramel by boiling 280g of caster sugar with 140ml of water in a saucepan.

He then adds glucose and boils the mixture until it turns a dark golden colour. He takes the caramel off the heat and gently stirs in 500ml of hot double cream.

Armin swirls 30g of butter and two teaspoons of Maldon sea salt into the pan before serving warm in the fondue pot with strawberries, pears and bananas.

LUCY SAYS: This is so satisfyingly sticky — and the salt really offsets the sweetness.

ARMIN SAYS: Some people struggle to cook caramel but the best advice is to never to take your eye off the pan.

Undercooked, it will be too pale, but it can quickly burn once it darkens. This is a good alternative to a chocolate fondue. 8/10

FRENCH AND FISHY

ARMIN lightly fries fennel, onion and garlic in olive oil for 3-5 minutes for this seafood fondue. He then adds 1litre of chicken stock, a can of chopped tomatoes, 250ml of Chardonnay (any dry white is fine), Worcestershire sauce and seasoning on the stove.

When it reaches boil, he transfers it to the fondue pot and serves with rinsed scallops, cooked prawns, cubed white fish, cooked potatoes and tartar sauce.

LUCY SAYS: There’s something very French and luxurious about dipping scallops and prawns — which cook very quickly. However, I’d prefer the liquid to be thicker, like other fondues.

ARMIN SAYS: It’s more expensive, but monkfish or halibut work best with this dish because they are meatier fish that don’t fall apart in the cooking process. For a thicker sauce, add slaked cornflour or more chopped tomatoes. 6/10

INDIAN SPICES

THIS minced lamb fondue, known as Keema pao, is a spicy Indian version.

Armin dices and fries one onion, two garlic cloves, 4cm of fresh ginger and 2 green chillies until fragrant, then adds 500g of minced lamb which he fries until brown.

He then adds two tablespoons of garam masala, two teaspoons of turmeric, half a can of chopped tomatoes, six tablespoons of natural yoghurt and seasoning, and cooks for 30 minutes.

About 200g of peas and a bunch of coriander are added five minutes before serving, with naan bread, yoghurt and mint and mango dips.

LUCY SAYS: Sound more like a curry to you? That’s because it is. It’s delicious, but the thicker consistency makes it hard to dunk much in it.

ARMIN SAYS: Lots of seasoning is needed to bring this fondue to life. The yoghurt also lifts it, so be liberal with that and the coriander, too. 4/10

FLAVOURS OF CHINA

FONDUE Chinoise, is an oriental-style fondue that is served like a hot pot.

Armin chops a red chilli, a ginger and 2 garlic cloves and lightly fries them before adding 1litre of vegetable stock.

Then into the stock go spring onions, pak choi, red pepper, chopped fennel and a good slug of soy sauce and seasoning.

This is served with strips of thinly sliced pork, which are held in the hot liquid in the fondue for one minute until cooked through. Sweet chilli sauce and soy work nicely as dips.

LUCY SAYS: I like quite a lot of heat so I’d add another chilli. But the flavour — which isn’t unlike miso soup — is fresh, warming and great for winter.

ARMIN SAYS: It’s traditional to crack a raw egg into this fondue once you have eaten the pork. Cook for another minute before sharing out the soup. 7/10

DECADENT DESSERT

ARMIN makes this Dulce de Leche fondue by heating half a cup of sugar in a frying pan until amber coloured, then removing from the heat and mixing with a cup of whipping cream and four tablespoons of rum.

Back on the hob, he heats the mixture until smooth. The fondue is served with pecans and plain sponge cake for dipping.

LUCY SAYS: Chocolate fondue has become so boring — this would be a lot more impressive.

ARMIN SAYS: This is very calorific but very fast to make. 7/10

CLASSIC WITH TWIST

FOR this blue cheese and truffle fondue, Armin pours 300ml of Sauvignon Blanc (or any dry white wine) into a pan, adds a crushed garlic clove, before placing over low heat.

Then he mixes 250g of grated gruyere cheese with 250g vacherin cheese (the classic moitie-moitie ‘fifty-fifty’ fondue). For a twist he adds 100g of gorgonzola, and a tablespoon of cornflower mixed with water to thicken.

Before serving, he seasons with black pepper and truffle oil and adds cubes of sourdough bread and crudites for dunking.

LUCY SAYS: It’s delicious and thoroughly moreish. The truffle makes it very luxurious.

ARMIN SAYS: Swiss gruyere and vacherin melt well. The acid in the wine helps to stop the fondue from clumping. 9/10