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When you desire comfort food, fondue is strong pick. Prevalent in America in the 1970 ‘ s, fondue has made an urban comeback that tempts the palate with much more than the plain cheese, hot oil and simple chocolate pots of olden times. Originating in Switzerland many centuries ago, Fondue (Fawn-DOO) is French for the term ” melt ” and is considered a national dish. The hard winters of the Alpine mountains meant being cut – off from the outside world for months at a time with inadequate food supplies. The only readily available ingredients in the villages were cheese, bread and wine. As the winter dragged on, the cheeses prepared the previous summer began to dry out and caused the villagers to melt them and form a mouthwatering, fulfilling fare. You don’t have to be an Alpine villager to enjoy great fondue. Having a fondue party just might be just the item you’ve been searching for to enjoy with family and friends. Most any food can be “cooked” in a fondue pot and fondue parties are a great way to entertain your guests for an entire evening with good food, good wine, and great conversation. The party can be set up in stations or in small groupings at single tables. If your knees are still in good shape, it is amusing to sit on pillows on the floor around the coffee table. As long as the pots are easily accessible for everyone, the set up can be almost anywhere. Follow the tips beneath to create a finished fondue that will surprise and satisfy your hungry social guests. Fondue Pots and Utensils

Broth pots should be a heavy metal over a hot flame that keeps the contents bubbling. The regular earthenware fondue pot is called a “caklon. ” Ceramic pots are best for making cheese and chocolate fondues. Sterno, alcohol, and gelled fuel capsules are designed to keep the pots boiling vigorously. Tea lights or diffusers on the bases of the pots may be used to keep the pots warm during the party. Fondue forks and bamboo sticks are the best option for spearing bread, meat, vegetables, fruit and confections. Bamboo skewers allow more than one piece of meat at a time to be cooked on them. It’s a good idea to soak them in water to stop them from burning when touching the pot. Small Asian baskets work well for dipping soft fish in broths. These can be purchased at Asian markets. Fondue plates, dinner forks, and plenty of energetic, sunny napkins are necessary for gracefully eating any fondue.

Fondue Secrets

Cut all ingredients for dipping into one or two – bite sizes, about 1 – inch cubes. Double skewer the items or place them past the very tip of the point to avoid losing the food in the pot. Apply flavorful liquids only. Use a dry or semi – dry wine in the cheese to help the proteins melt smoothly. Keep cheese and dessert fondues at about 130 degrees Fahrenheit with a diffuser on the flame, a very low fire or a twilight candle. Chocolate should be eaten mild, not hot. Cool fruit dippers before serving so the chocolate will coat them greater.

Cheese Fondue

Stop cheese fondue from burning by using a heavy metal pot with an enamel or cast iron base or a solid glazed earthenware pot. Melt the cheese slowly on the stovetop and then transfer it to a pot with an alcohol burner. Allow it to gently bubble, not boil, to keep the cheese from becoming stringy. If it does become stringy, lower the heat and continue warming until the cheese re – melts and the mixture becomes smooth once again. Step-up the heat slightly and keep stirring if the cheese forms a lump. Preserve the cheese creamy by swirling dippers in a figure eight. The crust that is formed on the bottom of the cheese fondue is to be shared by all, since it is considered a delicacy. Bread for dipping should not be too raw or it will disintegrate in the pot.