Fondue Chinoise with Five Sauces — Broth, Meat and Amounts
Per person, 200 g paper-thin sliced beef, plus a broth of 1.5 l water with wine, onion and bay. The sauces are all a mayonnaise or quark base plus one flavour — five bowls in 15 minutes. Dip the meat for only 20 to 30 seconds.
Fondue chinoise is on the table in half of Switzerland at Christmas and New Year — and the sauces decide whether it is any good. Shop-bought sauces all taste the same. Homemade, they take a quarter of an hour, because each is just mayonnaise or quark plus one flavour. The rest is buying the meat and making a broth that tastes of something.
Ingredients
- 800 g Beef for fondue chinoise (paper-thin sliced)
Broth
- 1½ l Water
- 2 tbsp Stock powder
- 2 dl White wine
- 1 piece Onion
- 2 pieces Bay leaves
- 1 piece Carrot
Sauces
- 300 g Mayonnaise
- 250 g Low-fat quark
- 3 tbsp Ketchup
- 1 tbsp Cognac (optional)
- 2 tsp Curry powder
- 2 pieces Garlic cloves
- 1 bunch Chives
- 1 bunch Parsley
- 2 tbsp Gherkins (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp Capers (chopped)
- 1 piece Egg (hard-boiled)
- 1 piece Lemon
- Salt
- Pepper
Sides
- 300 g Rice
Method
- 1
Start the broth
Roughly chop the onion and carrot, bring to the boil with the water, stock powder, wine and bay, and simmer gently for 20 minutes. It should taste strong — it seasons every piece of meat.
- 2
Cocktail sauce
Mix 100 g mayonnaise with the ketchup, cognac, a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. For more heat, add a few drops of Tabasco.
- 3
Curry sauce and garlic sauce
Curry: mix 100 g mayonnaise with the curry powder, 1 tsp lemon juice and salt. Garlic: mix 125 g quark with 2 crushed garlic cloves, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
- 4
Herb sauce and tartare
Herb: 125 g quark with chopped chives, half the parsley, 1 tbsp lemon juice, salt and pepper. Tartare: the remaining 100 g mayonnaise with the gherkins, capers, chopped egg and remaining parsley.
- 5
Meat and rice
Cook the rice. Take the meat out of the fridge only just before eating and arrange it on platters — it is paper-thin and warms up fast.
- 6
At the table
Strain the broth into the fondue pot and keep it simmering on the burner. Meat on the fork, 20 to 30 seconds in the broth, dip in a sauce. At the end, drink the broth from cups — by now it is the best thing of the evening.
Tips
- All the sauces can be made the day before and keep covered in the fridge for two days. On the day, only the broth and rice are left.
- Meat for fondue chinoise is sliced frozen and must not thaw for long — in the fridge, not on the table. Migros and Coop sell it ready-sliced as beef, chicken or mixed.
- The broth gets better with every piece of meat. Freeze what is left — it is the base for your next soup.
What can I substitute?
Chicken is cheaper and popular with children, but needs 45 to 60 seconds in the broth. Mixed platters are the answer when not everyone wants the same.
Lighter and fresher. The sauces come out thinner, so use 1 tsp less lemon juice.
For an alcohol-free broth. The vinegar provides the acidity that keeps the meat tender.
The more popular side in many families. Rice soaks up the sauces better.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
How much meat per person for fondue chinoise?
200 g per adult, 250 g for big eaters, 100 g for children. With rice or chips and plenty of sauces, 180 g is enough. Migros and Coop packs are usually 400 g, so one per two people.
Which sauces go with fondue chinoise?
The five classics are cocktail, curry, garlic, herb and tartare. Popular extras: chilli or sweet chilli sauce, mustard sauce, horseradish sauce. Five is enough; more rarely all get tried.
How long does the meat go in the broth?
Beef 20 to 30 seconds, then it is pink and tender. Veal 30 seconds. Chicken must be cooked through: 45 to 60 seconds. The broth needs to be visibly simmering, not just steaming.
Can I make the broth from scratch instead of powder?
Yes, and it will be better: simmer beef bones or stewing beef with vegetables for 2 to 3 hours, strain, season with wine and bay. For the evening itself, powder is perfectly fine — the meat seasons the broth anyway.
How much does fondue chinoise cost per person?
With Swiss beef about 12 to 15 CHF per person, with chicken about 8 CHF. Making the sauces yourself costs a fraction of shop-bought — mayonnaise, quark and seasonings for all five come to under 5 CHF.
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