How To Serve a Fondue Dinner
Fondues are generally considered as appetisers before a main course, but a full fondue dinner can be a great idea for a fun, interactive meal with family and friends. The appetiser, main course and dessert can all be served fondue-style to make for an impressive and highly social dinner.
Things Required:
– Fondue pots
– Skewers or forks
– Fuel for the fondue pots, like Sterno
Instructions
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1
Start by setting the table where you and your guests will dine. Keep in mind that there will be several fondue pots that need to be placed in the centre of the table, which all of your guests can reach with ease as they dip and cook their own food.
Use small plates, as opposed to regular dinner plates for the guests, and don’t forget the cutlery – add a couple of fondue forks to the usual spoons, knives and forks. Take special care to avoid centrepieces on your table, as these might end up catching fire, and result in disaster.
Image courtesy: blog.artisanalcheese.com
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2
Get your meal off to a delicious start with a classic cheese fondue course. There is a large variety of cheese fondue recipes, each calling for different types of melted cheeses enhanced by wines and/or spices for the fondue pot. Pick the one you are sure everyone will enjoy, and serve it with chunks of crusty bread and raw vegetables cut into bite-sized pieces. You can also serve pieces of apple and pear alongside the vegetables and bread.
Image courtesy: about.ch
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3
Make the next course a light a refreshing one to counteract the effects of all that melted cheese, and to prepare your guests for the main course that will follow. The best course of action would be to opt for a salad course – serve it tossed in a light, flavourful dressing, on a bed of fresh garden greens.
Image courtesy: vanwich.ie
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Next comes the main course – for this, the fondue pots will need to be filled with either oil (make sure it is fresh, and use a neutral flavoured vegetable oil), or broth (chicken broth would go well with most meats), depending on your preferences and what you plan to serve. Choose tender cuts of meat for this, which your guests will be able to cook with ease.
Cut pieces of pork tenderloin and provide beef medallions, or use chicken and shrimps for a more healthy option – the latter do not need to be cut up, but you will need to peel and de-vein them. You can also opt for a variety of meats, and fill the fondue pots with different dips, to give guests more choices. Don't forget to provide side dishes and condiments.
Image courtesy: bc.edu
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5
Top it off with a classic chocolate fondue for dessert. You can offer fresh fruits and berries for dipping options – just make sure you don’t use any fruits that have seeds or pits in them. Cutting up pieces of sponge or pound cake for dipping purposes is also a great idea, and will serve as a sweet finish to your unique fondue dinner.
Image courtesy: acefitness.org
