Monday, April 1, 2013

REVERSE FONDUE



This week I am hosting The Food Matters Project and I chose Reverse Fondue from Mark Bittman's cookbook. Mark says that you can use almost any type of cheese in this recipe and he suggests using a good aged cheddar or Gorgonzola. I went with the more traditional combination of Gruyere and Emmental. I really loved this recipe. It uses half the cheese that you would use in a traditional fondue and although you don't have that decadent feeling when you dip a piece of bread in a pot of warm cheese, you still get the flavors and none of the guilt. I also added a tablespoon of Kirsch (cherry brandy) to the sauce. It gives it a wonderful flavor.


You roast a variety of vegetables and bread cubes and drizzle them with the fondue "sauce". I served this as a side dish but it would make a tasty vegetarian main course.

To see what the other members made this week click here.




REVERSE FONDUE

1 large head broccoli or cauliflower, cut into florets
2 large carrots, cut into chunks
1 large turnip, or small celery root cut into wedges
1 large onion, sliced into thick rings
Salt and black pepper
3 TBSP. olive oil
4 slices bread, preferably whole grain, cut into large cubes
1 cup dry white wine
1 tsp. cornstarch
8 ounces any cheese ( I used 4 oz. Gruyere and 4oz. Emmental grated)

1 TBSP. Kirsch (cherry brandy)

Heat the oven to 450~

Put the vegetables on a large rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with the oil, and toss until well coated. Put the bread on a separate baking sheet. Roast both the bread and the vegetables, shaking the pans once or twice, until everything begins to brown, 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on the bread; it may finish toasting before the vegetables are done. You want the vegetables mostly crisp tender and the bread still a little soft inside.

Meanwhile, put the wine and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a slow bubble. Gradually stir in the cheese and cook, stirring almost constantly, until it melts and the sauce becomes creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the Kirsch. Adjust heat so the mixture does not boil.

Put the vegetables and bread on a serving platter or in individual bowls, drizzle with the fondue, and serve immediately.

Recipe from the Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman

9 comments:

Unknown said...

great pick lexi! i made this on a busy thursday night and it was much easier than i thought it would be! we devoured everything! it was that good!

Lexi said...

Thanks Margie!

Meg @ FledglingFoodie.com said...

Your pictures are great, Lexi!

Lexi said...

Thanks Meg!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the delicious recipe choice, Lexi! This was so super-quick I was able to make it for lunch in a snap. And I used my leftover grilled vegetables on top of my spinach salad for a couple of days. Perfect!

Cathleen said...

Ooh, yum! This looks great! I have never made fondue but you make it look so easy. And yummy :)

Lexi said...

I loved it too Aura!

Lexi said...

You should try it Cathleen! It is so easy.

Anonymous said...

Good pick Lexi. Unfortunately, I was unable to make this one since I still had the flu...and cooking/eating were not among my top activities. I'll have to go back and try this one since everyone seems to be saying good things!