Monday 17 November 2008

Steak & fondue sauce

I don't know if it is the descent into winter or the descent into recession, but for some reason I have been bombarded recently by fondue recipes. I love fondue - the cheese type. I think chocolate fondue is an abomination against god and I have never had a good meat fondue. But cheese fondue is an all-time comfort food.

In our family fondue has always been made with cheddar (apparently due to difficulty accessing gruyere and emmenthal originally, and then out of preference) with fresh rosemary, garlic and white wine.

But the problem is that these days I feel immense reluctance to make a whole meal from bread and melted cheese. I find it a bit indigestible too, even if I have a nice herb tisane afterwards.

My recent success with the pear & camembert salad made me think differently about fondue. Why have it as the main event, when a tiny portion could garnish some steamed vegetables as a sauce?

So white wine ( I used 75ml chardonnay) with 2 cloves of garlic, smashed a bit but not crushed, and a sprinkling of dried rosemary came to the boil in a little saucepan and then sat off the heat for 15 minutes. When the time came to eat, I returned the saucepan to the heat and added 50g grated mature cheddar and stirred until it melted. At this point I should have added a little cornflour slaked with kirsch or wine, but I didn't. But given my time over I would - it binds it and thickens it slightly.

My fondue went over steamed baby cauliflowers, leeks and carrots, with a steak. It was delicious. It filled the kitchen with just the right smell of my childhood, and gave me the flavour I was after and was incidentally fantastic with the vegetables. Cauliflower cheese may never be the same again.

14 comments:

Just Cook It said...

steak and cheese together in perfect harmony? Doesn't get much better than that

Sarah said...

We are in total agreement about cheese fondue being the supreme kind of fondue. I love it, absolutely love it. This meal looks wonderfully, insanely rich!

Alicia Foodycat said...

Alex - I am a big fan of steak & blue cheese sauce. This was very good too!

Sarah - it was rich, but less so than I would have expected.

kat said...

What a great idea

Teresa Cordero Cordell said...

Foodycat, I agree. The aroma in your kitchen must have been awsome. I love the fondue sauce recipe. Must try it. Thanks for sharing.

Esi said...

I love cheese fondue before all others and paring this sauce with steak is great. I have to admit, I do also love the "abomination" that is chocolate fondue

Darius T. Williams said...

LOL - an abomination - lol - funny!

But that cheese fondue looks great!

Like for real!

-DTW
www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com

hungryandfrozen said...

I'm ALL about the melted cheese :) if only it wasn't so expensive here. Cheese fondue is so good - I think it's the wine that makes it taste particularly amazing...

Sam said...

I haven't had fondue in years! using it as a sauce is a really good idea, I might try that.

Alicia Foodycat said...

Thanks Kat - I thought I was a bit clever too.

Teresa - it is hard to beat the smell of garlic and wine!

Esi - I just think chocolate fondue doesn't do either the fruit or the chocolate any favours.

Darius - give it a go!

Laura - I am amazed that cheese is expensive in NZ! I thought most of the cheese we got in Australia was imported from New Zealand!

Sam - I think you will like it.

MrOrph said...

Nice. Kinda like a deconstructed Philly cheesesteak. All you need is the onions!

Alicia Foodycat said...

MrOrph - one day I will have a Philly cheesesteak! One day!

Paul F said...

that steak looks marvelously cooked.

Alicia Foodycat said...

Captain Haddock, are you my husband?

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