"It's a dish we like to do for special occasions, especially in the winter time," Mueller said. "You get a bunch of people together. It's a social thing with the fondue pot."
Although Mueller likes to have some of the Devils over for fondue every once in a while, he said they might still go to a restaurant to get some done by the professionals while they're in Bern, Switzerland for the Global Series Challenge. New Jersey will play SC Bern on Monday, Oct. 1 at PostFinance Arena at 1:30 p.m. ET before traveling to Gothenburg, Sweden where they will open the regular season against the Edmonton Oilers on Sat., Oct. 6 at Scandinavium at 1:00 ET.
Mueller, from Winterthur, Switzerland, says fondue is popular at holidays and when families come off the ski slopes in winter, though kids don't usually enjoy it as much as adults.
Besides fondue being easy to prepare, Mueller says there's a lot of room to be creative with herbs, spices, and cheeses. Using high quality Swiss cheese is important, and there are so many varieties that you can pick anything that suits your taste. Gruyere and Emmental are the most popular cheeses for fondue.
Mueller likes his robust, so he uses stronger tasting Swiss cheeses and puts garlic in the pot, whereas traditional recipes call for just rubbing the clove of garlic around the inside of the pot to add subtle flavor. He also adds turmeric powder for extra earthiness.
"There's really no rules to it," Mueller said. "It's whatever you like."
Mirco Mueller's Cheese Fondue
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 pound Swiss cheese, grated (Pictured: Holzhofer, Emmental)
2 tablespoons cornstarch or all-purpose flour
1 garlic clove, grated
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
Directions:
In a bowl or zip top bag, combine the grated cheese and cornstarch. Over medium heat, bring the wine to a simmer, then add the garlic. Add the cheese a 1/2 cup at a time, and stir after each addition, allowing the cheese to gradually melt. Once all the cheese has been added and the fondue is smooth, stir in the turmeric powder.
Use fondue forks or wooden skewers to dip crusty bread, granny smith apple chunks, or your favorite vegetables into the fondue.
Substitutions:
If you don't have a fondue pot, create a double boiler by placing a bowl over a pot of simmering water. For a non-alcoholic recipe, replace the cup of white wine with low sodium chicken or vegetable stock plus the juice from half a lemon.
