By Michelle TcheaFeatures correspondent
Tetiana Kovalenko/AlamyDuring the Christmas and New Year's holidays, cheese fondue is forgotten as Swiss families instead opt for fondue Chinoise, a fragrant hot pot of broth for dipping tender cuts of meat.
While Italian-Americans may celebrate the holiday season with the feast of the seven fishes and the Swedes spread the festive table with seafood to make their julebord (Christmas Smorgasbord), the Swiss gather around a fondue pot in an activity of unity and friendship. However, it's not the cheese fondue you might expect – instead, they celebrate the end of the year by preparing fondue Chinoise (Chinese fondue), an Asian-inspired hot pot made with a fragrant, salty broth in lieu of cheese, and tender, melt-in-your-mouth ribeye steak for dipping, instead of bread.
Dating to the 17th Century, the history of cheese fondue, unlike fondue Chinoise, has been well-documented. It originated in western Switzerland, where farmers made hard cheese from a surplus of milk during the winter and it was ultimately eaten in the most delicious way possible: melted in a pot.
As food historian Peter Moser reported for the National Museum of Switzerland, fondue has had a place at the Swiss table since the 19th Century, when it shifted from a shepherd's dish to a household staple, and it continues to remain a winter tradition. But during the holidays, the Swiss prefer fondue Chinoise, mirroring the centuries-old hot pot recipe hailing from Mongolia and China.
Very little is known about the history of fondue Chinoise. There are rumours about a man from Switzerland visiting China in the 1950s and coming back home wanting to replicate his "exotic" adventures abroad, which ultimately led him to tweaking cheese fondue by swapping out dairy and bread for broth and meat. There are also stories that fondue Chinoise was created because mothers in the 1970s wanted to cook healthier versions of the cholesterol-rich classic.
Despite very little reported in Swiss literature or known about the truth of how fondue Chinoise came about in Switzerland, one thing is for sure – it is a much-loved custom and quintessential pastime during Christmas and New Year's celebrations.
American cookbook author and blogger Heddi Nieuwsma has adopted the Swiss Christmas tradition of serving fondue Chinoise. "When we first moved to Switzerland, I was surprised to learn that fondue Chinoise was a typical Swiss dish for the holiday season, but it has become the meal we typically serve for our Christmas Eve dinner," she said. "People like making it because it requires little preparation. For my family, the convenience of this meal means we can focus more on all the cooking and baking that needs to happen for the big Christmas meal the next day."
Michelin-starred chef, Stéphane Décotterd of Maison Décotterd in Switzerland's Vaud region, explained that the beauty of fondue Chinoise is that "everyone can make it their own and adapt it to their tastes". This means using a variety of different proteins to dip into the slow-simmering broth at the table, or serving different sauces, which can range from curry-flavoured mayonnaise to zingy relishes.
With 26 cantons making up Switzerland, there are different versions of fondue Chinoise, explained Décotterd. "In the German-speaking part of Switzerland, people like to add fruit as a garnish, because they appreciate the sweet and sour flavours. In French-speaking Switzerland, many people make a vigneronne fondue with a red wine broth. There are also Chinese fondues made entirely with game meat, and in the Valais region, they make a Chinese fondue called glareyarde, where the beef is marinated with herbs and spices a few days beforehand and the broth is wine-based," said Décotterd.
Décotterd added that there are no steadfast rules as to what you dip into your fondue Chinoise, but he recommends a mix of red and white meat. "I like red meat like beef, duck, game meat like venison, and white poultry like chicken and turkey. One thing to remember is you should use cuts that cook quickly (like tenderloin), yet still retain their texture after cooking. These are all great served with a bowl of basmati rice and some light sauces, rather than the usual mayo-based sauce served at home."
In the Nieuwsma household, scratch-made sauces served with fondue Chinoise are not always necessary. “I am a bit lazy and just use what we have on hand. I mix some curry powder with mayonnaise and also put some soy sauce, hot sauce and sweet chilli relishes on the table for everyone to help themselves.”
Addy Ho/AlamyFondue Chinoise recipe
by Stéphane Décotterd
Serves 4
Décotterd makes a lighter version of mayonnaise sauce with creamy avocado instead.
Ingredients
For the broth:
120g dried wood ear or shiitake mushrooms
3 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 small turnip, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 leek (white part only), peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 red capsicum, seeded and finely chopped
40g ginger, peeled and diced
1 lemongrass stick, thinly sliced crosswise
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1.5 litres water
beef bouillon powder (optional), approximately 1 tsp but depends on the concentration of your brand
1 makrut lime leaf
For the avocado sauce:
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp olive oil
salt
hot sauce, preferably Tabasco
To serve:
200 to 250 grams meat per person (chicken, veal, beef), thinly sliced
cooked basmati rice (optional)
Method
Step 1
Soak the mushrooms in cold water for 30 minutes. Rinse under cold running water to clean well. Drain and set aside.
Step 2
In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the drained mushrooms, along with the carrots, turnip, leek, capsicum, ginger and lemongrass. Cook until softened, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Step 3
Add the soy sauce to deglaze the pan, and then cover with the water. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the kaffir lime leaf.
Step 4
Meanwhile, make your avocado sauce. Blend the avocado and lemon juice, then blend with olive oil and season with salt and hot sauce.
Step 5
Transfer the hot broth to a fondue pot. Serve with thinly sliced meat for dipping, as well as avocado sauce and rice on the side, if desired.
BBC.com's World's Table "smashes the kitchen ceiling" by changing the way the world thinks about food, through the past, present and future.
---
Join more than three million BBC Travel fans by liking us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
If you liked this story, sign up for The Essential List newsletter – a handpicked selection of features, videos and can't-miss news delivered to your inbox every Friday.
"asian" - Google News
December 29, 2023 at 10:35PM
https://ift.tt/sCdrZ4t
Fondue Chinoise: Switzerland's Asian-inspired hot pot - BBC.com
"asian" - Google News
https://ift.tt/72ABYpf
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
No comments:
Post a Comment