A pot of hot oil that you dip your meat into sounds downright barbaric, but it can also be heart-healthy. Hot oil and broth fondues are much less decadent than their sisters, the cheese and chocolate fondue, but they are just as tasty. With a little care in selecting ingredients and avoiding overeating, both broth and hot oil fondues can be made into a healthy meal.
Fondue Bourguignonne (also known as hot oil fondue) consists of diners cooking their own food with long forks in a pot filled with hot oil. The oil is heated in a fondue pot to about 325 degrees and guests spike cubes of meat and place them directly into the hot oil. While you wait a minute or two for the meat to cook and also enjoy some wine and company (the best part of fondue), the cube is removed from the oil and ready to be dipped into a variety of sauces to wet.
For the healthiest hot oil fondue, you need to start with the oil. Peanut oil is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and is also high in monounsaturated fat. This means that, like olive oil, peanut oil will improve the ratio of “good cholesterol” to “bad cholesterol.” Next, you will want to use lean cuts of meat. Beef tenderloin, pork tenderloin, and lamb tenderloin are all good, but chicken or turkey breast are the best options. And keep the portions small. The general guideline is that the portion should be about the size of the palm of your hand.
Dipping sauces can also be made healthier with ingredient substitutions. Try using low-sodium soy sauce or fat-free sour cream. Take a small dip and do not drain the food in the sauce. Just say no to béarnaise or hollandaise sauce.
Broth fondues are similar to hot oil fondues, except they are cooked in broth instead of oil. The benefit of cooking in broth is that it takes on the flavors of the submerged ingredients and can be eaten. Broth fondue (or Shabu Shabu) is often followed by a bowl of noodle or rice soup made from the leftover broth.
Start your broth fondue with low-sodium chicken or beef broth. Like hot oil fondue, you should use lean cuts of meat, small portions, and limit the use of dipping sauces. Broth fondues add vegetables to the mix. Try adding mushrooms, green onions, carrots, and celery to the broth. Loading up on veggies will not only fill you up, but it’s also healthy for you.
When you’re running low on ingredients, add the rest to the fondue pot along with some noodles or rice. Let simmer for a few minutes and serve this wonderful-tasting soup as an after-dinner treat for your guests.
Chocolate fondue is delicious but fattening. Cheese fondue is not something you should eat every day. When dieting, you should probably skip both and stick to hot oil and broth fondues. If care is taken when putting the ingredients together, fondue can become a healthy meal.