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An Unforgettable Fondue Party

How to throw a memorable fondue party without all the unnecessary work.  Some prep work ahead of time, and relax as your guests cook their own dinner!

Course Main Course
Cuisine French, Swiss
Keyword charcuterie, elk, emmental cheese, fondue, gruyere cheese, ostrich
Prep Time 45 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

Fondue Bourguignon

  • 4 cups (1 litre) neutral cooking oil , like canola or sunflower
  • 2-3 lb (900-1350 grams) meat, or 1/3-1/2 lb of meat per person , this can be straight sirloin or ribeye beef, or try something new like ostrich, venison, elk, camel, boar etc. Even chicken
  • 3-4 sauces , such as BBQ, garlic aioli, Thai peanut sauce, mustard sauce, Asian miso ginger dressing, etc. Whatever you would like.

Cheese Fondue

  • 1 clove garlic , peeled and sliced in half
  • 1 1/4 cup Dry White wine , such as a Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio etc
  • 1/2 lb (225 gr) Gruyere Cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 lb (225 gr) Emmental Cheese, shredded
  • 1 pinch of freshly grated or ground nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp Kirsch (cherry liqueur)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 5-6 cups of day old french bread , cubed, and left outside to dry out a touch. See Notes

Instructions

Meat Fondue

  1. Take each cut of meat that you have decided on, equalling about 2-3 lbs in total, and pat dry.  You want to ensure that there is no excess liquids surrounding the meat, as it can cause splattering when it hits the hot oil.  Cube into bite sized pieces. Aim for 3/4 inch cubes- 1 inch cubes. You want them easy to handle and guide onto your fondue forks, and not so small that they will slip off into the oil, or overcook too quickly.

    Also, when cubing, cut off any excess fat, as this will cause burning in the oil.

  2. Place each type of meat into a separate container, seal and refrigerate till ready to use.
  3. Spoon or pour the various sauces you are using into small containers and cover with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge till needed. You really only need about 3-4 tbsp of each sauce, to go around. Don't use too many sauces. Four is ideal.

  4. About a half hour before you want to eat, measure out your oil in the fondue pot you are using. Try to ensure that it is solid pot, and has a lip at the top, to prevent hot oil from splattering. You want to leave a good 1.5 to 2 inches at the top free, so don't over fill. Most oil fondue pots are designed to sit on glass burners of ranges, as well as gas ranges these days. They are usually made from heavy steel or enamel coated cast iron.

  5. Using medium heat (no hotter) slowly bring the oil to a gentle simmer. You should eventually start to see it 'shimmer'. You can test it by taking a small piece of bread on a spear and placing it into the oil. If it starts to sizzle (without going crazy!) then the oil is ready to go.

  6. When the oil is almost ready, bring out your meat and sauce containers. Spread them out around the fondue stand in the middle of your table. Each meat bowl should have forks for serving, and each sauce should have its own spoon.

  7. Plates: Instruct everyone that they can take a variety of raw meat and place it on one corner of their plate. But once cooked, they should keep another section free for this. And in the bottom part of the plate they can spoon out some of the sauces for dipping.

  8. Set up the flame of your fondue burner sitting on the bottom of your fondue stand according to the directions it came with. You can adjust the heat with the cover of the fondue flame holder.

  9. Using oven mitts, carefully bring the oil over to the stand, and place it over the flame, ensuring that the pot is stable and secure.
  10. As your guests start to cook each piece of meat, watch the flame and oil. If there is too much sputtering etc, drop the flame somewhat.
  11. You will find that each person will like their meat differently. So pay attention to how long it takes to cook your cubes. I find for red meat, I only need a few seconds (truly, I like it blue rare!) Others will want it in there longer.
  12. You may find that if the pot is filled with speared meat, the oil will take longer to heat up. Just be patient and have some salad!
  13. Or you may find that your flame will die out. If this is the case, have someone remove the hot oil pot (using oven mitts) and place it on a cutting board. Then remove the fondue flame holder and refill with fuel. (I do this in the kitchen to keep the fuel away from the meat and other food) Light with a match and return it to the stand. Replace the pot and continue eating!

Cheese Fondue

  1. Have a bread bowl or basket ready with the cubed bread.

  2. Take the garlic slices and rub the inside of your cheese fondue pot. This pot is different from an oil pot. It is usually wider and flatter, and either cast iron, baked clay or enamel. This pot cannot sit directly on the stove. Discard the garlic.

  3. In a bowl, combine the cheeses, nutmeg and cornstarch.

  4. In a separate medium sized cooking pot, bring the wine to a rolling simmer over medium heat on the stove.

  5. Once the wine is heated through and simmering, slowly add one handful of the cheese mixture. Using a spoon, stir in a figure eight motion until it is completely melted. Add another handful of cheese and repeat. Continue until all the cheese has been incorporated and has become a smooth mixture. It should be pleasantly bubbling. Add the kirsch and stir for another five minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. If you find it too thick, you can thin it out with a touch more wine.
  7. Set up your fondue stand and the fuel container according to the directions. When the flame is ready, transfer the cheese from the stovetop pot to the garlic infused fondue pot. Set it up on the stand.
  8. Spear a cube of bread and insert into the cheese. Using a figure eight motion, get some cheese to cover the bread and carefully plop it into your mouth! I say carefully because the fork and the cheese may be hot!! The figure eight motion ensures that the cheeses keep well mixed and will not separate or stick to the bottom of the pot.
  9. Adjust the flame if you find the cheese is starting the scorch at the bottom of the pan.

  10. See blog post for more details

Recipe Notes

Meat Fondue

Feel free to use any variety of meats you'd like. Keep the pieces a good bite size. Serve a light garden salad and sliced focaccia on the side.

The sauces can also be any variety you would like. Often, if I have some made up, I will serve my Miso Ginger Dressing as one option. Here is the recipe.

Cheese Fondue

Shred the cheeses ahead of time and store in a sealed container in the fridge till needed.

Traditionally white wine is the liquid of choice. But these day a hearty beer is also an option. You can substitute equal measure for measure.

Kirsch is also traditional. I would not use it if using beer. I have left it out, and only noticed minimal difference.

While bread is also the traditional conduit for the cheese, these days veggies such cherry tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower florets, even boiled baby potatoes would make a great option.

These days the fondue fuel is a lot easier to use.  We use the fondue gel that gets squeezed into the fuel holder.  Keep extra on hand, for if the fuel runs out before the meat has!!