A Conversation Piece You Can Eat
DESSERT? . . . DESSERT! . . . Have you planned a dinner for guests and then asked yourself, ‘What shall I serve for dessert?’ Perhaps this common dilemma has prompted you to pore over your recipes and all your cookbooks in search of the perfect dessert for your get-together.
Would you like to try a fondue? Not only is it a natural conversation piece but it’s quick and easy to prepare too. What is a fondue? Quite simply, it is a mixture of certain ingredients that are melted in a pot. Then, other foods, which we will style “dippers,” are dipped into the mixture and eaten. The word fondue comes from the French word fondre meaning “to melt.” For example, in a chocolate dessert fondue, the mixture is basically melted chocolate, and the dippers are pastry and fresh fruit.
Chocolate Dessert Fondue
To the left is a chocolate dessert fondue recipe. If you have never tried it, you are in for a delightful surprise!
Melt the chocolate in a saucepan. Add the remaining ingredient(s). Stir until the mixture is thickened. Transfer the mixture to a fondue pot, and keep it warm over a low-heat source.
Before you begin dipping into the fondue, you may want to stir in two teaspoons of instant coffee or one quarter teaspoon of cinnamon. To keep fruit dippers from turning dark, sprinkle them with lemon juice mixed with water. If the chocolate mixture is too thin, add more chocolate. If it is too thick, thin it with milk.
If you are using an electric fondue pot or a stovetop-safe fondue pot, you may prepare and serve in the same pot. Place the fondue pot in the center of the table within easy reach of everyone. One pot serves six to eight persons.
If some sauce is left over, it stores well in the refrigerator and makes an excellent topping for ice cream.
Swiss Cheese Fondue
Would you like to try a cheese fondue? To the right is a recipe for either an appetizer or a main dish.
Rub the inside of a saucepan with the cut side of a garlic clove, then discard the garlic. Pour the wine and lemon juice into the pan, and warm it over medium heat. Bubbles will rise and cover the surface. Do not allow the wine to boil.
In a bowl combine cornstarch or flour with the shredded cheese, and stir.
While stirring the wine mixture constantly, add a handful of cheese. After the cheese melts, add another handful of cheese, and stir until it melts. Continue in this manner until all the cheese is melted. If desired, season with white pepper and nutmeg or paprika and ground clove.
Transfer it to the fondue pot, and set it over a low to medium heat source. Each person has his own long-handled fondue fork, dinner plate, and dinner fork. Simply spear one of the dippers and swirl it around in a circular or figure-eight fashion in the fondue. Place the dipper on your dinner plate, and eat it with your dinner fork.
If the fondue is too thin, add more cheese. If it becomes too thick, stir in some heated wine. If the mixture separates, heat it at a high temperature, beat it with a whisk, and then lower the heat. The mixture should not separate if you stir it with the dipper every time you dip.
If you prefer a nonalcoholic base for your fondue, prepare a basic cheese-sauce recipe. Mix four tablespoons each of butter and flour. Cook the mixture over low heat. Add two cups [4.8 dl] of cold milk, bring slowly to boil, and cook the mixture for two minutes. Gradually add one and one half cups [3.6 dl] of sharp cheese (shredded) and stir until it is melted. Season with salt and pepper. Dip as described above.
A Sweet Ending
The next time you face the dessert dilemma, you may decide to give chocolate fondue a whirl. Or for dinner, perhaps you will serve beef fondue.
No doubt this melting pot of fine flavors will long be a favorite with you and your friends. Its appeal derives from the common pot. Everyone dips in, creating a warm atmosphere of friendship, the main ingredient of this conversation piece you can eat!—Contributed.
[Box on page 22]
Recipe for Chocolate Dessert Fondue
6 ounces [170 g] unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups [3.6 dl] sugar
1 cup [2.4 dl] light cream
1/2 cup [1.2 dl] margarine or butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
or simply:
12 ounces [340 g] semisweet chocolate
chips or sweet cooking chocolate
1/2 cup [1.2 dl] half-and-half (cream and whole milk)
Pastry dippers:
Angel food cake, ladyfingers, doughnuts, pound-cake cubes
Fruit Dippers, any or all:
Apples, bananas, cherries, dates, grapes, oranges, melons, papaya, peaches, pears, pineapple chunks, strawberries
[Box on page 23]
Recipe for Swiss Cheese Fondue
1 clove garlic, cut in half
1 1/2 cups [3.6 dl] dry, white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch or flour
16 ounces [435 g] Swiss cheese, shredded (or combination Swiss and Gruyère)
2 to 3 tablespoons kirsch (optional)
White pepper and nutmeg or paprika and clove, if desired
Dippers:
2 loaves crusty French bread (or Italian bread or hard rolls) cut into 1-inch [3 cm]cubes, each with a side of crust
Cooked chicken, ham, shrimp
Raw or cooked vegetables
[Box on page 24]
Dipping sauces:
Horseradish Sauce
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 cup [2.4 dl] dairy sour cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon paprika
Blend ingredients
Mayonnaise and Curry Sauce
1/2 cup [1.2 dl] mayonnaise
1/2 cup [1.2 dl] dairy sour cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
Blend ingredients
Salt and pepper to taste
Mustard Sauce
3 teaspoons prepared mustard
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 cup [2.4 dl] dairy sour cream
Blend ingredients
Salt and pepper to taste
Recipe for Beef Fondue
2 pounds [1 kg] lean beef, tenderloin, or boneless sirloin
vegetable oil
Note: The fondue pot must be of cast iron, copper, or steel. Ceramic pots are not safe for an oil fondue. The oil is too hot, and the pot will break
[Picture on page 23]
Chocolate dessert fondue
[Picture on page 24]
Swiss cheese fondue