Most couples get one or two for their wedding or maybe you got a hand me down from your parents, either way someone you know has one.
I'm talking about fondue.
I had fondue in Cuba while on vacation with my mom and I became obsessed. I'd never had it before and wondered how ? How have I not found out about this? It's wine with cheese melted in it and you dip chunks of crusty bread into it! These are all of my favourite things rolled into one dish!
So I invited some of our good friends over for an introduction to fondue. It was fantastic. Besides the prep of chopping, cutting and presenting everything nicely it was dead simple to make.
I made 2 types of fondue, cheese and chocolate. I didn't think for my first experience making the fondue I should make oil / broth fondue just in case a had a little bit too much wine and things got dangerous. Luckily I stayed quite sober and everything turned out cheesy, chocolatey delicious.
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| sorry about the crappy iphone photo |
I don't have many pictures of the actual fondue but I tried to get some. The husband was frowning at me. His frowns told me that we had company we can get photos later. Silly husbands.
Cheese fondue
[ from the booklet inside the box that my fondue pot was in]
1 large clove garlic
1 cup dry white wine
2/3 pound Swiss emmenthal, cubed
2/3 pounds Swiss gruyere, cubed
juice from half a lemon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup kirsh or white wine
pepper
nutmeg
Rub garlic vigorously on the inside of a medium saucepan. Add wine and over medium-high heat bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to low, add cheese and lemon. Stirring continuously, cook until cheese is melted and smooth. Dissolve the cornstarch in the kirsh and add to cheese mixture. Season with pepper and nutmeg. Pour into fondue pot and light flame in the stand to keep warm and smooth.
Serve with 1 inch cubes of crusty bread, florets of broccoli and cauliflower.
Swiss chocolate fondue
[from Company's Coming: Fondues ]
12 ounce swiss chocolate bar, broken up
1/4 cup half & half
2 1/2 tablespoons liqueur, I used Kahlua but creme de mente or amaretto would be fine
Combine chocolate and cream in medium sauce pan and heat over medium to low heat. Stirring constantly, heat until chocolate is smooth. Remove pot from heat and add liqueur.
Pour into fondue pot and light flame to keep warm and smooth. Serve with pineapple chunks, strawberries and cream cheese pound cake cubes.
