Fondue bourguignonne

Fondue bourguignonne is a convivial dish of French origin that consists of cubes of meat cooked directly at the table by the diners in a small pot full of boiling oil. Here’s the recipe with an Italian touch!

Ingredients

• 800 g beef tenderloin
• Peanut or sunflower oil for frying
• Salt and pepper
• Various sauces for serving (for example, tartar sauce, mayonnaise, ketchup, barbecue sauce)

For an Italian touch, you could prepare a green sauce with:

• 1 bunch of parsley
• 1 garlic clove
• Capers to taste
• Salted anchovies to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Start by cutting the beef tenderloin into cubes about 2-3 cm on each side and arrange them on a plate to bring to the table.
2. Prepare the sauces. For the Italian green sauce, wash the parsley and finely chop it together with the garlic, capers, and anchovies. Transfer everything to a bowl, add the extra virgin olive oil until you achieve a thick consistency, and mix well. Finally, adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and a bit of lemon juice.
3. Fill the fondue pot with oil and heat it until it reaches the ideal temperature for frying the meat cubes (about 180 °C).
4. Place the pot on the table burner and keep the oil hot throughout the meal.
5. Each diner spears a cube of meat with a special fondue fork and immerses it in the hot oil until it reaches the desired degree of doneness.
6. Once cooked, the meat can be dipped in the various sauces and eaten.

Remember to take precautions when using boiling oil at the table and to have appropriate utensils on hand to avoid risks.

Trivia

Although fondue bourguignonne is traditionally a French specialty, every country has its favorite accompaniments. In Italy, for example, it is common to find homemade sauces like the green one that make the dish even more flavorful and authentic.