Fondue Party: A Tasty Guide To Melty Fun

Fondue parties are a fun and unique way to socialise and enjoy a variety of delicious foods with your loved ones. Fondue, by definition, is a dish where small pieces of food are dipped into a hot sauce or a hot cooking medium such as oil or broth. The dish originated in Switzerland as a way to stretch families' resources – a bit of cheese mixed with wine was served with stale bread. It was then introduced to Americans in the 1960s and became a hit in the 1970s.

If you're hosting a fondue party, you'll need a fondue pot, extension cords, fondue plates, and fondue forks. You can buy these items on Amazon, Target, or eBay. It's also important to remind your guests of fondue etiquette: no double dipping, no eating directly from the fondue fork, and no using your fingers to dip.

For the food, you can choose from a variety of fondue styles: cheese, broth/oil, or chocolate. You can also offer a range of dippers, such as bread, apples, cured meats, shrimp, sausage, steak, vegetables, and more. Get creative and enjoy the ultimate retro good time!

Choosing your fondue style: cheese, broth/oil, or chocolate

The first step to hosting a fondue party is to choose your fondue style. You can opt for the classic cheese fondue, a savoury broth or oil fondue, or a sweet chocolate fondue. Each style has its own unique charm and offers a different culinary experience. Here's a guide to help you choose the right fondue style for your party:

Cheese Fondue:

Cheese fondue is the traditional and archetypal fondue style. It is usually made with a combination of melted cheeses, such as Gruyère, Comté, or fontina, mixed with white wine and seasoned with nutmeg and Kirsch. You can also experiment with different types of cheese, such as hard cider, cheddar, and pilsner, or add ingredients like jalapeño for a spicy kick. Cheese fondue is best paired with dippers like day-old bread, pretzels, apple or pear slices, roasted vegetables, salami, or cooked pasta. When serving cheese fondue, it is recommended to offer drinks like Manhattans, Martinis, or white wine.

Broth/Oil Fondue:

Broth or oil fondue, also known as "fondue Chinoise", is a fun and versatile option. It involves cooking raw ingredients like meat, seafood, or vegetables in a simmering pot of broth or oil. This style is similar to the Chinese hot pot or Japanese shabu-shabu. You can flavour the broth with ingredients like onions, herbs, dried mushrooms, ginger, garlic, vinegar, or citrus. It is important to use a fondue pot made of high-heat-compatible materials like cast iron, stainless steel, or copper for this style. Popular dippers include shrimp, chicken, steak, sausages, ravioli, tortellini, meatballs, and a variety of vegetables. You can also offer a range of dipping sauces to enhance the flavours. A chilled Gamay wine pairs well with this style of fondue.

Chocolate Fondue:

Chocolate fondue is a sweet and indulgent option, perfect for dessert. You can use different types of chocolate, such as white, milk, or dark, and add flavours like coconut cajeta, nut butter, or espresso infusions. The possibilities for dippers are endless, including fruits, cakes, cookies, pretzels, and even unconventional options like bacon or pickles. Chocolate fondue goes well with bubbly wine, Oloroso sherry, or fennel tea.

When choosing your fondue style, consider the preferences and dietary restrictions of your guests. You can also opt for a combination of styles or create themed fondues to make your party more interactive and engaging.

Picking the right cheese for your fondue

When choosing your cheese, opt for those that melt well, such as Gruyère, Comté, fontina, Beaufort, Emmental, or Appenzeller. Stay away from cheeses that don't melt well, such as Grana Padano, goat cheeses, fresh sheep's milk cheeses, and Hispanic-style cheeses. These varieties tend to clump up and will not create the desired smooth and creamy texture.

For an authentic Swiss fondue flavour, melt your chosen cheese with white wine and a little garlic. Beer can also be used as an alternative, depending on your preference. The addition of alcohol not only enhances the flavour but also helps to prevent curdling.

If you're feeling creative, you can experiment with different cheese combinations and add-ins. For a twist on the classic, try hard cider, cheddar, and pilsner, or spice things up with jalapeño. Just remember to choose your cheeses wisely and ensure they complement each other.

Selecting the best cooking liquids and entrée foods

For a fondue party, the cooking liquids and entrée foods you select depend on the type of fondue you want to serve. If you're going for a meat or seafood fondue, you'll need to use a hot cooking liquid such as oil, as you'll be working with raw ingredients. A fondue pot made of high-heat-compatible materials such as cast iron, stainless steel, or copper is ideal for maintaining the high temperature of the oil.

Vegetable oil, a mix of vegetable and olive oils, and/or broth are often recommended for oil-based fondues. Popular items for dipping include beef cubes, sausage slices, meatballs, and shrimp. If there are vegetarians in your group, consider adding a second fondue pot for cooking vegetables only.

If you're going for a broth fondue, you can add flavours to the broth with ingredients like onions, herbs, dried mushrooms, ginger, garlic, vinegar, or citrus. Dippers for broth fondue can include potstickers, white fish, salmon, filled pasta, shrimp, thinly sliced marinated steak or pork, and hot dogs.

For cheese fondue, the traditional Swiss recipe calls for melting cheese with wine and a little garlic. You can also use beer instead of wine, depending on your guests' preferences. Cheese fondue is not hot enough to cook raw ingredients, so make sure all your dippers are already cooked. Good options include bread, vegetables, apples, cooked ravioli or tortellini, and roasted potatoes or Brussels sprouts.

For dessert, a chocolate fondue is a popular choice. Typical chocolate fondue ingredients include bittersweet chocolate, heavy cream, sugar, and butter. You can also add red wine for a more adult fondue. Offer a variety of dippers such as marshmallows, bananas, strawberries, figs, graham crackers, pretzels, and pound cake. Cold fruit will hold the chocolate better and result in fewer drips.

How to set up a fondue table

Setting up a fondue table is simple and can be done in a few easy steps. First, decide whether you will be using a cordless fondue pot or one with a cord. If you are using a cordless pot, place it in the middle of the table to allow all guests access. If your pot has a cord, consider setting up the fondue buffet-style, with the pot and dippers lined up so guests can serve themselves before sitting down.

Each guest should receive a fondue fork and a regular appetizer fork, along with a small appetizer plate. If you are serving a side salad, use dinner plates instead. It is important to remind your guests to use the long fondue fork to dip their food and then place it on their small plate. They can then use their regular fork to eat. This helps to keep the dinner party germ and contaminant-free, and there should be no double-dipping!

When it comes to dippers, variety is key. Offer classics like bite-sized bread, apples, and cured meats, as well as other options such as shrimp, sausage, steak, asparagus, broccoli, small boiled potatoes, thinly sliced sausage, cornichons, and more. If you are serving a side salad or fresh vegetables, your guests may not want to dip these in the cheese, so it's nice to have these as a side option.

Fondue party essentials checklist

Choose your style

First, decide on the style of fondue you want to serve. You could choose cheese, broth/oil, or chocolate. If you're feeling adventurous, you could even attempt two or three styles in one night, but this option is better suited to more experienced hosts.

Select your equipment

You will need a fondue pot to serve your fondue. These come in a variety of materials, including ceramic, cast iron, XL, and copper. If you don't have a fondue pot, you can use a double boiler or heavy-bottomed pot set over tea lights. You will also need skewers/fondue forks for your guests to dip their food. Make sure you have enough plates, napkins, and regular forks for your guests.

Pick your ingredients

The ingredients you need will depend on the style of fondue you have chosen. Here are some ideas:

• Cheese fondue: Gruyére, Comté, or fontina cheese, white wine, nutmeg, and Kirsch. You can also experiment with hard cider, cheddar, and pilsner, or jalapeño. For dippers, try day-old bread, pretzels, apple or pear slices, roasted potatoes or Brussels sprouts, cornichons, cherry tomatoes, salami or cured sausage, cooked ravioli or tortellini, or raw/gently cooked veggies (carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, mushroom, green bean, asparagus, and radish).
• Broth/oil fondue: Vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil, broth/stock (flavoured with onions, herbs, dried mushrooms, ginger, garlic, vinegar, or citrus). For dippers, try shrimp, chicken, steak, sausages, ravioli, tortellini, meatballs, vegan meats, or vegetables.
• Chocolate fondue: White, milk, or dark chocolate. For dippers, try cubed pound cake, marshmallows, graham crackers, strawberries, banana slices, brownie chunks, shortbread, pineapple, pretzels, potato chips, rice krispie treats, cheesecake, dried fruit, Oreos, blackberries, bacon, churros, or peanut butter sandwich cookies.

Prepare your space

To create the perfect fondue experience, set up your fondue pot in the middle of the table so that all your guests can access it easily. If your fondue pot has a cord, you may prefer to serve the fondue buffet-style, with the pot and dippers on a separate table. Provide each guest with a fondue fork and a regular appetizer fork, along with a small appetizer plate.

Decorate according to your theme

Choose a theme for your party and decorate your space accordingly. For a 70s fondue party, use retro colours, invite your guests to dress up, and create a disco playlist. For a campfire theme, incorporate natural elements like flowers and wooden plate chargers, and offer graham crackers, marshmallows, and candy bars for dipping.

Frequently asked questions