Up until then, I'd been barbecuing meat and maybe the occasional vegetable or halloumi. I'd never dreamt of barbecuing fondue until someone presented me with a casserole dish.
My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.
"Hey Caro, with the cocotte, you can even make fondue on the barbecue. Stefanie Voigt from our garden team told me about this idea almost two months ago. I was hooked. Grilled food is delicious, so why deprive yourself of it in winter? I could already see us sitting around the grill in an inch of fresh snow. Fondue fork in one hand, cup of mulled wine in the other. The reality was quite different. Either it had rained and the snow had turned to mud, or I hadn't had time. There was no shortage of excuses, you can ask my dear colleagues.
Two months are flying by. It's now mid-February and the weather is at its best. Not a cloud to darken the blue sky, we're back to double-digit temperatures. It no longer feels like a winter barbecue. My procrastination techniques have backfired. I'm about to bury this story, but then I realise that a little flexibility wouldn't hurt. So I reopen the coffin and revive the project: this year it's Galaxus that kicks off the grilling season! Fondue is still on the agenda, because I haven't completely given up on winter yet. It's only February after all.
The Weber cocotte has been in the starting blocks for weeks, patiently waiting to be used. Like any cast iron vessel the cocotte pulls its weight and makes a good impression. It has a capacity of 6.62 litres, enough to fill a few hungry stomachs. According to the manufacturer, the cocotte isn't limited to fondue, you can also simmer stews or even bake bread in it. According to our customer claudia.wininger (review in German) the cast iron cocotte is also ideal for traditional hobs.
But the cocotte isn't enough for barbecuing. I also need a grill, charcoal or briquettes and a lighter to light the fire. For the fondue, I also need forks, a wooden spoon, bread, white wine, garlic, cornflour, a good half-and-half and, above all, our self-declared gourmet: Simon Balissat. I'd rather entrust this onerous task directly to him than listen to him complain about my gross errors in choosing such simple ingredients. Meanwhile, I take care of the veal and pork sausages - obligatory. I prefer that to creamy cheese.
Before succumbing to gluttony, we need to do a bit of work. We need to heat up the barbecue in advance to get it up to temperature. I pour out the briquettes, remove a third of them and make a sort of twisted pyramid with what's left in the barbecue. Spread out three firelighter cubes and you're ready to light. The charcoal is ready to use after half an hour. Simon and I opted for a circle formation of the charcoal, so that the sausages on the outside get most of the heat and the fondue in the middle is heated more gently.
First, we need to heat up the barbecue.
Here we go, putting on the grill. The centre piece can be removed to install the casserole. Simon first rubs it with garlic, then adds the wine and fondue cheese. Wait a little while, then add the cornflour to thicken the fondue. Stir constantly to ensure that the mixture forms a homogeneous mass. Meanwhile, I put the unsplit sausages around the casserole dish. To my great surprise, everything worked perfectly. The fondue doesn't cook, the sausages evenly take on colour.
The casserole fits perfectly into the grill.
Simon has the honour of tasting the first bite.
As if they'd sensed it, the rest of the editorial team join us around the barbecue. Out of pure charity, they've volunteered to serve as guinea pigs. Everyone seems to enjoy it, although Martin is a little annoyed at the lack of potatoes. Fortunately, the taste of fondue is there to soften any moods. The casserole and the grills are emptied fairly quickly. The forks go back and forth between the melted cheese and my colleagues' mouths, which is a good thing, because with the high temperature of the barbecue, the fondue would risk burning otherwise.
Golden rule: always stir.
Even I, not much of a fondue fan, have nothing against this fondue of a different kind. What I particularly like is that even with the casserole in the middle, there's still room for a few grills. The cast iron casserole isn't cheap, but it's worth it if you use it more than once a year. I can't tell you anything about preparing other dishes in the casserole, but as far as fondue is concerned, I'm very satisfied. There's only one thing that scares me now... The washing up. That's for sure, no one's going to devote themselves to that.
