The term "fondue" comes from the French word "fondre" ("to melt"), referring to the fact that the contents of the pot are kept in a liquid state while diners use forks to dip food into the sauce. Cheese fondue first appeared in 1699 in Zurich, Switzerland. At that time, cheese used in fondue was very expensive and fondue was a delicacy enjoyed only by the wealthy.
Cheese fondues are the best known fondue. In the 1960s, dessert fondue recipes began appearing. The most typical dessert fondue is melted chocolate into which pieces of fruit or pastries are dipped.
After some research, I discovered that pots range from $29.99 to $179.99. Rival has a very nice stainless steel electric fondue pot for $29.99 (try Target Greatland).
About the recipes... Recipes for fondues range from meat through dessert. Have a fondue party! Set out a tray of assorted meats to cook, i.e., beef cubes, pork cubes, shrimp, etc. Since different pieces of meat take different amounts of cooking time, be sure the meat is cooked through before you eat it. Add a cheese fondue and a dessert fondue and you have a meal! To go with the meats, serve horseradish, BBQ sauce, Sweet and Sour Sauce, or ranch dressing. For all you caffeine lovers, there's a recipe for caramel fondue loaded with coffee.
Fondue Etiquette: It is considered improper to allow one's lips or tongue to touch the fondue fork, and a dinner fork should be used to remove meat from the dipping utensil. Once a taste has been taken of a dipped morsel, it should not be returned to the pot. In other words, no double dipping, folks!
MARINATED PORK FONDUE
- 2-3 lbs pork roast, tenderloin or boneless pork chops
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3 tbs lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1-1/2 tbs worcestershire sauce
- 1-1/2 tbs tarragon vinegar
- 1 tbp granulated sugar
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 2-3/4 cups vegetable oil
In a bowl, combine
all ingredients except meat and 2-3/4 cups oil. Trim excess fat from pork
and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place pork cubes in a glass or plastic container.
Pour marinade over cubes. Cover; refrigerate and allow to marinate at least
3 hours or overnight. Thirty minutes before serving, drain pork cubes and
blot dry.
Pour 2-3/4 cups oil into Fondue Pot. Place fork holder on pot. Turn temperature
dial to 350 degrees and heat until light goes out. Spear a cube and gently
place in hot oil. Cook until browned and cooked through (about 2-3 minutes).
Servings: 6-8
CHEDDAR CHEESE FONDUE
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbs Dijon Mustard
- 1 tbs cornstarch
- 2 cups shredded Sharp cheddar cheese
Bring broth
to a boil in heavy saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to medium. Stir
mustard into cornstarch until well blended. Add to broth along with the
cheese; stir with wire whisk until well blended. Cook until cheese is completely
melted and mixture is well blended, stirring constantly.
Pour into fondue pot. Serve with assorted dippers such as bell pepper strips,
baby carrots, pretzels, apple chunks and broccoli florets. Another suggestion
would be party-size slices of rye bread.
Servings: 16 (2 tbs each)
CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER FONDUE
- 1 pkg chocolate cook & serve pudding & pie filling (not instant)(4-serv. size)
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine (or 1/2 stick)
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups half & half
Microwave butter
and peanut butter in a 2-quart microwaveable bowl on high for 30 sec.-1min.
or until butter is melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir until well blended.
Stir in dry pudding mix and half-and-half. Microwave 1 minute; stir. Microwave
an addition 4-5 minutes or until thickened, stirring every minute. Cover
surface of fondue with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming; cool slightly.
Remove plastic wrap and transfer to a fondue pot; keep warm. Serve with assorted
cut-up fruit, vanilla wafers, angel food cake cubes, animal crackers or dipper
of your choice. Yield: 2-1/2 cups or 20 servings, 2 tbsps each
Servings: 20 (2 tbs each)
CAFE CARAMEL FONDUE
- 1/4 cup brewed coffee (double-strength, any variety)
- 1 bag caramels (14oz)
- 1/4 cup milk
Place caramels in a large microwaveable bowl; add coffee and milk.
Microwave on high for five minutes or until caramels are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring every two minutes. Serve as a warm dip with assorted cut-up fresh fruit, vanilla wafers, marshmallows, pound cake cubes and/or pretzels.
Servings: 10 (2 tbs each)
WHITE CHOCOLATE FONDUE - BONUS ONLINE RECIPE
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
- 2 pkgs (12oz each) premier white morsels
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine cream and butter. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat; add white morsels. Stir until melted and smooth. Transfer to a fondue pot; keep warm. Serve immediately with sliced apples, slices bananas, strawberries, cookies, pretzels and/or pound cake.
Servings: 6
Don't put a question mark where God put a period.
June 17th is Father's Day.
Show your love and appreciation by doing something special for Dad!
Please direct any questions or comments you may have regarding Culinary Corner to: bethoover@aol.com.
© 2008 Good News Tucson™
