A Lesser Known Version: La Fondue Bressane

A sociable way to spend a chilly evening is to invite a group of friends and dust off the fondue set or caquelon. This version may not be so well known but it is equally delicious and easy on the host and on the budget. Entertaining doesn’t get much easier than this. The name of this fondue comes Bresse, a rural area in the meeting point of the regions Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne and Franche-Comté so well-known for it’s poultry that it has its own AOC appelation d’origine controlé.

How to make it:

Cube some raw chicken or turkey breast filets, whip 2 egg yolks in a shallow bowl, and fill another with breadcrumbs. Heat about 50cl of oil in the fondue pot. Guests dip the chicken cubes in the egg, roll them in the breadcrumbs and cook them in the hot oil for about 2 minutes.

Variations:

The best part is experimenting with different sauces, like sour cream and chives, mustard, a cheese sauce for example made with the local Bleu de Bresse, and also flavoring the breadcrumbs in different varieties adding herbs, paprika, black pepper, crushed hazelnuts. There are no rules.

A loaf of bread and some crudités go well with the fondue bressane, and if you need to fill the gaps you could serve steamed potatoes with sour cream and chives.

For the wine I go with the simple concept that what grows together goes together. So without venturing too far from Bresse, you could pair it with a white Vin de Savoie.

See here for another winter classic, la raclette .

Bon appetit!