Fondue Party Basics
Hold a Fun Fondue Party With These Tips and Recipes
Fondue parties are easy, fun, and make socializing a snap even for a busy party host. All it takes are a few simple recipes and some advance prep time!
Fondue parties are the perfect way to celebrate just about anything. From a birthday to Christmas Eve, putting out several fondue pots filled with delectable, rich ingredients brings people together to socialize, eat, and have a good time. Here are some tips, recipes, and ideas to hold a successful fondue party at home.
Amount of Food
Plan on about six people per fondue pot per course -- if there are more guests invited, add extra fondues. In a pinch, a chafing dish warmed with a tealight candle makes a great substitute for an actual fondue pot. A slow cooker can also do double duty, or try a suitable cooking pot or casserole dish over a warming plate to keep the fondue dishes warm.
For "dippers," here's a rough guide to how much to serve per person:
- 20 cubes of bread
- 5-10 cubes of meat or pieces of seafood
- 10-15 pieces of vegetables
- 8-10 pieces of fruit
- 5-7 dessert pieces (cubes of cake, cookies, marshmallows, biscotti, etc.)
Types of Fondue
Since this is a Fondue Party, each course should feature a different type of fondue. To start, plan on a cheese course such as this Parmesan Cheese Fondue. Along with a variety of bread and veggies to dip, a light broth-based soup or fresh, light salad makes a perfect accompaniment to the first course, providing it's a sit-down dinner. For a buffet-style fondue party, serve extra veggies that can be dipped or eaten alone to contrast the richness of the cheese.
For the main course, an oil or broth based fondue like the recipe below is perfect for cooking meats or seafood in. Serve some spices that can be sprinkled on the meat before or after cooking in the fondue pot, as well as any dipping sauces that might be appropriate. Long-grain rice or a potato dish would go well with this course.
Finally, dessert calls for a scrumptious Chocolate Fondue. Get creative with the dippers!
Other Considerations
Stock up on fondue forks, or for a large guest list, use pre-soaked bamboo skewers instead. It's best if guests don't put any utensil they've had in their mouths back into the fondue pot, for hygiene sake. Napkins should be abundant, and make sure there are enough plates for each course.
Cover any table that will hold a fondue pot with thick, protective tablecloths to avoid damaging any furniture. Keep the pots themselves safely away from the edge of any table to avoid toppling them. Also, keep children and pets away from the hot fondue pots.
Fondue Bourguignonne Recipe
This is a traditional hot oil fondue recipe for meat. It's perfect for beef, but veal, game, or even chicken can be used as well. Cut the meat into 1/2-inch cubes for quick cooking. Spear the cubes on fondue forks or skewers, and place them into the fondue pot to cook. Guests can cook their meat how they like it, from rare to well done.
Ingredients
- 4 cups oil (peanut oil adds a nice flavour, but use any type of cooking oil)
- salt and pepper
- dipping sauces and cooking spices
How to Set it Up
- Pour oil into fondue pot. Heat oil to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut meat into cubes and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve meat with fondue forks or skewers and allow guests to cook the meat in the hot oil. Arrange dishes of cooking spices for guests to use on the meat before cooking, and dipping sauces to dunk meat in after cooking.
For the dipping sauces, try Bearnaise Sauce, soy sauce, hot pepper sauce, steak sauce, or any other type of sauce that goes well with the type of meat being served.
