Do you fondue? I think it’s a fun and social way to dine. Every family should have a fondue pot…or two!
A surprising number of foods lend themselves to fondue cooking. One of my favorites is garlic French bread. It’s quick and easy to prepare, and so tasty!
Garlic French Bread for Fondue
French bread, sliced into 1-inch cubes (about 36)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon water
3 to 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Beat the eggs in a small bowl and stir in the melted butter, water and garlic. Dip the bread cubes into the egg mixture, then roll the cubes in Parmesan cheese. Set the prepared bread cubes on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
To fondue: spear a bread cube with a fondue fork and cook in hot (375°F, 190°C) cooking oil. When it’s crisp and golden, it’s done! Yum!
Chocolate fondue is another favorite, although the first time I tried it was a complete disaster. I put the chocolate mixture in the oil fondue pot, lit the burner, and it immediately got too hot, and the ingredients separated and started to burn.
Now I know that a chocolate fondue pot should be ceramic, not metal, and only needs a small tealight candle to keep it warm. Favorite things to dip: strawberries, banana and pineapple chunks, ladyfingers and shortbread cookies.
Chocolate Fondue
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1/3 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons of your favorite liqueur (optional)
Melt the chocolate in the microwave on medium for 2 to 3 minutes, or in a saucepan on the stove over medium low heat. Add the whipping cream and stir until blended. Mix in the liqueur, pour the mixture into a ceramic fondue pot and keep it warm.
Hint: if you omit the liqueur, you can replace it with 3 tablespoons of whipping cream.
Kirsch, a cherry-flavored liqueur, is a popular addition to chocolate fondue. I’d like to try it some day, but it’s expensive and I can’t find it in small bottles. And other than occasionally using a couple of spoonfuls in fondue, I can’t image what else I’d do with a liqueur that sounds suspiciously like cough syrup.
So, do you fondue? Any favorite recipes you’d like to share?
Until next time,
Lee
