Beijing

Making cheese fondue could seem intimidating - especially to the average Chinese. But chef Bruno Correa can help you overcome your fear of the unknown with a cooking class in his kitchen.

The executive chef at The Ritz-Carlton Beijing is probably the best person to show us how, since he comes from Switzerland, from which that delicacy hails.

In his spotless kitchen, where every utensil shines, Correa starts off with weighing - the pan, the cheese and white wine.

He prepares 70 grams of Appenzeller cheese, 70 grams of Gruyere, and 35 grams of Emmental, all neatly cut into slices. The quantity will serve one person.

The chef then cuts a piece of garlic, bashes it and rubs it on the surface of the pan. Next, he adds white wine.

"If you like garlic, you can add two or three cloves," he says. "The amount of white wine you pour is half the amount of the cheese you prepare."

His 10 students, mostly from the media, mostly women, were eager to try the recipe. They each put a pan of wine on the stove and added the cheeses, stirring constantly. Soon they were stirring faster as the cheese and wine thickened.

As the cheese melted, the chef also added some kirsch and a little starch. The brandy adds flavor, while the starch stabilizes the mixture.

It takes just five minutes to prepare cheese fondue for one in the hotel kitchen, but the home chef may have to spend more time making sure it's cooked right.

The fondue is ready when the cheese is smooth and shows no sign of breaking, or curdling. It can then be placed on a heater tripod to serve. The last step will be cutting a French baguette into cubes, for dipping into the cheese.

The journalists in our class were not particularly good cooks. Some over-stirred the fondue and made it too stringy, while others over-heated the cheese so it became too dry and scorched. But the results still tasted good.

Chef Correa suggests a glass of wine with the fondue, as well as a side dish of cornichons (small pickled cucumbers) and onions to cut through the grease.

For dessert, green apples and pears are perfect.

The cooking class is the second themed event in Correa's kitchen, in which the chef hosts tailor-made cooking classes. Correa is the new executive chef at both The Ritz-Carlton, Beijing, and the JW Marriott Hotel Beijing.

You may contact the writer at yejun@chinadaily.com.cn.

China Daily

(China Daily 02/05/2012 page13)