Stammtisch, Swiss German conversations over food and drink with some great wine is an old concept where strangers meet and dine together, is now live on every Friday at Hyatt Regency, Delhi.

Introduced by Swiss executive chef, Chef Marin Leuthard, keeping in mind the traditional favourites from Swiss and German regions, Stammtisch, originally started off in Germany to encourage informal gatherings in which large tables in cafés or bars were kept reserved for people who wished to sit and make new friends over food and drink, says the Chef.

Unlikely, our table had rather small gathering of three but with interesting conversation that ranged from the preferred cheeses of the Swiss, to Rosti, Spaetzl,Raclette and much adored fondue’s in the buffet menu. As we experienced a live Raclette, a Swiss cheese you heat it over a special Raclette grill or a pan, scrape off a melted portion onto a baby potatoes to be served with gherkins and chalet, it added to amazement that almost every Swiss household has a Raclette grill.

Much to the delight of our readers we requested Chef Marin to give us the recipe for Gruyere Fondue, as it plays an important role and dates back to 18^th century. So here we share the recipe with some basic guidelines:

Gruyere Fondue

For 4 person

Ingredients
2 garlic glove
400 g crated Gruyere cheese
400 g crated Emmenthal cheese
3Ѕ dl white wine
4 TL Maizena
Kirsch
pepper
nutmeg

Preparation
Rub the inside of a 4-quart pot with the cut garlic, then discard. Add the wine to the pot, and bring to a low simmer on medium heat. Bit by bit, slowly stir the cheese into the wine. Stir constantly in a zig-zag pattern to prevent the cheese from seizing and balling up. Cook just until the cheese is melted and creamy. Do not let boil. Once the mixture is smooth, stir in kirsch and nutmeg.

The Traditional Pot (Caquelon)

The traditional fondue pot is called a “caquelon” or “câclon” and is made of a heavy earthenware.  Other variations include glazed ceramic or enameled iron.  All variations are heavy to help promote even heat distribution and heat retention. The fondue is heated on your cooktop in the caquelon over low to medium heat then transferred to the table and placed over an alcohol burner or a hot plate.

Etiquette
Given Fondue is a “communal” meal there are a few basic guidelines to follow.   To eat cheese fondue spear a piece of bread using a fondue fork and dip it into the pot. Twirl the bread cube gently in the cheese to coat it.  You’ll want to let the bread drip a bit before you put it in your mouth.  This will allow the excess to drip back in the pot and also allow time for cooling. When you put the bread in your mouth try not to touch the fork with your lips or tongue because the fork does go back in the pot.   Alternately you can use a dining fork to slide the bread off the fondue fork then eat it with the 2nd fork.  This is probably more cumbersome than necessary.

To eat meat fondue, spear a piece of meat and plunge it in the hot oil.  Allow it to sit until the meat is cooked to your liking.  Remove the fork and place it on your plate.  Use your dining fork to slide the meat off the fondue fork.  Then use your regular fork to dip the meat in the sauce as desired.  Then eat using your regular dining fork.

The Bread
A baguette works very well although any crusty French or Italian style breads will do.   When you slice the bread make sure that each piece includes a bit of the crust. This crust helps keep the bread on the fork after it is placed in the cheese.