I was milling around the mall the other week and dropped by this store where they usually have imported items on discounted prices. It’s usually my first stop whenever I go to this mall since it greets you as soon as you walk into the entrance. Browsing through the shelves where they had a slew of items on 50% off, I spotted a bunch of fondue pots. The prices were totally so doable and I just drooled at the thought of warm chocolate sauce to dip whatever tasty things you can come up with. I couldn’t help myself from indulging on a sweet deal. Oh come on … if you’re pretty much someone who entertains at home, this was definitely a steal!  Gather around some friends for a little fondue party , some wine and great conversations and you’re all set for an elegant get together.
I think between a chocolate fountain and a fondue pot, the latter is much more versatile . There are so many interesting recipes you can explore for fondue. Other than milk chocolate, there’s white chocolate, caramel, cheese and even fruity fondues. You can dazzle these recipes with flavours and spices or what not to add more punch to it and compliment whatever you plan on dipping into it.
Just for conversation, you might want to give a backgrounder on what exactly you’re doing dipping things in a pot of warm sauce. A fondue is basically Swiss and French in origin. It is knows as a dish of melted cheese which is served in a communal pot. A small burner under the pot keeps the sauce warm and fluid for dipping bread. It comes with long stemmed forks for each guest to use for dipping. Over the years this dish started to evolve in itself using chocolate for the fondue and the fondue bourguignnone. Fondue borguignnone is known as beef fondue where the communal pot contains very hot oil where cubes of beef are dipped and cooked and served with a variety of sauces.
Some pretty interesting etiquette comes with this unique dish. It is said that if a man loses his bread into the pot, he buys a round of drinks. And if a woman does, she has to kiss her neighbours. It is important to keep in mind that the forks are used only to dip and transport morsels from the pot to the plate and not towards your mouth. And yes … no double-dipping is allowed.
Cheddar Cheese Fondue with Brown Beer
INGREDIENTS:
1 clove garlic , halved
350 ml Belgian brown beer
1 tsp lemon juice
1 pinches dry mustard
600 g mature farmhouse cheddar cheese
3 tsp cornflour
1 crusty white bread
Instructions
1.Rub the inside of a cast iron or earthenware fondue pot with the cut side of a clove of garlic
2.Chop up the garlic and put it in a heavy based pot.
3.Add the beer, lemon juice, mustard and Cheddar and stir well.
4.Mix the cornflour with a little water or beer and add to the mixture.
5.Heat it gently on the hob, stirring all the time, until it starts to bubble, and all the cheese is melted and silky smooth.
6.This is a good time to adjust the thickness of the fondue, if it’s not to your liking. If it’s too runny, dissolve another teaspoon of cornflour in a little beer or water and stir like mad as you pour it in. If it’s too thick, add another glug of beer and again stir like mad.
7.Light the candle or burner under your fondue set. Transfer the warm cheese mixture to the fondue pot.
8.To eat, tear off a chunk of bread, spear it with a fondue fork and dip the bread into the cheese mixture. Make sure you stir the pot a few times with your chunk of bread before you eat it.
Photo Credit: Natalie Larson- Jaramillo
Photo Credit: cotarr
Photo Credit: stoicviking