Do You Fondue?

OK, admit it. You probably have at least two fondue sets packed away in a forgotten corner of your garage somewhere. Once all the fad, the art of fondue seems to have faded away from most of our usual cooking methods. Fondue is also probably not the first method of cooking that comes to mind when thinking gluten-free. Well think again! We discovered that the traditional Swiss fondue is in fact gluten-free. Most of us think of bread pieces dipped into a thick cheese sauce, but authentic Swiss fondue is not done with bread, but rather potatoes.

We experimented with different types of fondue, cooking in oil, dipping in cheese and chocolate sauce with delightful results. And what better way to conduct a cooking experiment than to plan a party around it! We invited two couples, all gluten tolerant, as our tasters. Our fondue party was great fun, delicious, filling and a wonderful way to engage your guests in the preparation of the meal. Fondues require up front prep work, but no cooking as everyone will become their own chef.

For our party, I purchased a Swissmar fondue pot, (I had sold the one in my garage at a garage sale years ago) for about $60. This was much more expensive than I remember the fondue sets of yesteryear.

A good fondue pot is made of cast iron. Mine has a coating that makes cleaning a breeze. The cast iron pot is not only great at holding temperature, but it will also withstand high heats which are needed for heating oil. The concept of fondue, is to heat the oil, or sauces on the stove top and then when ready, transfer to the table over a can of sterno to keep warm. Surprisingly, sterno will even keep hot oil hot enough to cook meat at the table.

My party menu included beef tenderloin fillet cooked at the table in hot peanut oil, polenta and par-boiled vegetables to be dipped into a cheese sauce and a chocolate sauce for dipping fresh strawberries, oranges and bananas.

To fondue for a party, it takes a little logistical organization. I used my new purchased fondue set for the oil and meat and built my own fondue set for the cheese sauce. Here’s how; first place a trivet or straw mat on the tabsharedcf1p to protect your table. Place 4 bricks, two stacked on top of each other with enough space in-between to set a can of sterno between them. Place the can of sterno in a small terra cotta pot dish, just big enough to hold the can. I used a Le Creuset pot that I have that is about the same size as the fondue pot and made of the same material. I set the Le Creuset pot on top of the bricks to adjust the space so that the pot will set on the bricks securely with a gap in the middle for the sterno. That’s all there is to it. When you plan to use more than one fondue pot, be sure to set them as close together as possible and in as central location as you can so your guests can reach both pots. Place your meat and vegetables in more than one small bowl around the table so guests can easily help themselves. Place meat dipping sauces in several small bowls, or in individual small bowls for each person.

Once the main portion of the meal is over, remove the pots and the dishes from the table, leaving one fondue station. Bring out the heated chocolate, place over the sterno and a large bowl of prepared fresh fruit for a spectacular finish.

Try these fondue recipes for your next party or just for fun for any occasion!

Do You Fondue? We do!

– Glutenfreeda