Creative Uses For Fondue Pot Bottoms: Delicious Leftover Recipes

Fondue is a Swiss dish that gained popularity in the US in the 1960s and remains a favourite today. The dish consists of small pieces of food dipped into a hot sauce or cooking medium, such as oil or broth. The traditional Swiss fondue is made with Gruyère cheese, wine, and a bit of garlic. However, there are endless possibilities for fondue recipes, from cheese and chocolate to meat with oil and broth.

When hosting a fondue party, it is important to have the necessary equipment, such as fondue pots and sticks. It is also crucial to remind guests of proper fondue etiquette, which includes not eating directly from the fondue fork and avoiding double-dipping.

In addition to the classic bread cubes, there are numerous dipper options that can be served with fondue. These include vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus; fruits, such as apples and pears; and proteins, such as shrimp, sausage, and steak. With its versatility and interactivity, fondue is a perfect dish for a fun and unique dinner party.

Make soup

Fondue is a great way to make a simple, tasty soup. Here is a recipe for a classic Swiss cheese fondue soup that serves six people.

Ingredients

• 1/3 pound firm alpine-style cheese, such as Gruyère
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Assorted fondue dippers (see below for ideas)

Instructions

• Grate all of the cheeses.
• In a medium bowl, combine the grated cheese with the cornstarch and lemon juice, stirring to combine.
• In a stove-safe fondue pot or large heavy saucepan, bring the wine, garlic, and lemon juice to a simmer over medium-low heat.
• Add the cheese mixture to the simmering liquid a little at a time, stirring well between each addition to ensure a smooth fondue.
• Once smooth, stir in the Dijon mustard.
• Serve with an assortment of bite-size dipping foods on a platter.

Fondue Dippers

• Bread cubes (French, rye, sourdough)
• Cooked vegetables (e.g. broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, potatoes, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms)
• Raw vegetables (e.g. cucumber, carrot, bell peppers)
• Meat (e.g. steak, chicken, meatballs, shrimp, sausage, salami, prosciutto)
• Fruit (e.g. apples, pears)
• Pickles (e.g. cornichons, dill pickles)

Deep fry food

Fondue pots can be used for deep-frying your favourite meats and breaded foods. Here are some tips for using your fondue pot for deep frying:

Oil Type and Temperature

Use vegetable, canola, or peanut oil for deep frying in your fondue pot. Heat the oil to 350-375°F before adding your food.

Food Options

You can deep fry a variety of foods in your fondue pot, including cubed steak, breaded chicken, sausage, breaded shrimp, potatoes, zucchini, cauliflower, asparagus, onion rings, cheese curds, sweet potato fries, and more.

Safety Tips

Always be cautious with hot oil. Ensure your fondue pot is stable and out of reach of children to prevent accidents. Keep the oil level as low as possible and fry small batches of food to avoid hot oil splatter. Monitor the temperature to prevent burning yourself.

Fondue Forks

Use the coloured fondue forks to cook your food. Each guest can use their designated colour to cook one item at a time. Do not eat off the fondue forks, as this is unsanitary and can be dangerous. Instead, transfer the cooked food to a plate and use a regular fork to eat.

Cross-Contamination

To prevent cross-contamination, always keep raw and cooked foods on separate plates and use different utensils for cooking and eating. Do not place raw meat on dinner plates, and ensure that raw ingredients are prepared on separate plates.

Serving Tips

If you have more than four or five guests, consider using two pots of oil. For every four to five people, have one pot of oil or broth fondue and one cheese fondue. Serve about four ounces of meat per person, and provide a variety of sauces for dipping.

Keep appetisers warm

Fondue is a great way to keep appetisers warm, especially when entertaining guests. The bottom of a fondue pot should be heated by a portable stove, keeping the contents warm and melty.

To keep appetisers warm, you can use a cordless fondue pot, which is easy to place in the centre of the table and allows all guests access to the warm food. Alternatively, if your fondue pot has a cord, you may prefer to serve the fondue buffet-style, with the pot and dippers lined up together so guests can help themselves.

If you're using a fondue pot with a cord, be sure to secure the electrical cord so no one accidentally trips over it and knocks over the pot. You could also use an extension cord to ensure the pot can be placed in the centre of the table without any hazards.

If you don't have a fondue pot, you can use a small ceramic dish or cast-iron pot. These materials retain heat well, keeping your appetisers warm. Ideally, you would have a heat source underneath, such as a chafing dish with candles or a portable burner.

If you don't have a heat source, simply return the dish to the stovetop to rewarm as needed.

Make hot drinks

Fondue is a great way to make a hot drink, and here are some ideas to get you started.

Firstly, the traditional Swiss cheese fondue is a classic and a great place to start. To make this, you'll need a mix of traditional, firm mountain-style cheeses such as Gruyere, Emmental, and Appenzeller. Simply grate your chosen cheeses and combine them with cornstarch, stirring thoroughly to ensure the cheese melts smoothly. Next, add some dry white wine—a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, or an unoaked Chardonnay are good choices—and heat the mixture over a medium-low flame, stirring constantly. Once the cheese has melted, add a splash of kirsch, a generous pinch of black pepper, and some grated nutmeg. Serve immediately and enjoy!

If you're looking for something a little different, why not try a zesty cheddar fondue? This recipe calls for sharp cheddar cheese, onions, garlic, and cilantro, and pairs perfectly with bread and apples. Simply grate the cheese and combine it with the other ingredients, heating the mixture and stirring until smooth.

For a heartier option, try a macaroni and cheese fondue. This recipe combines Fontina, Cheddar, and Swiss cheese with pasta for a filling dip. Simply cook your chosen pasta according to the package instructions, and combine it with the grated cheese, heating the mixture and stirring until smooth.

If you're looking for a more unique option, try a spinach artichoke cheese fondue. This recipe takes the classic dip and transforms it into a melty cheese fondue, perfect for dipping bread and vegetables.

Lastly, for beer lovers, a classic beer cheese fondue is a great option. This recipe combines a sharp cheddar with a crisp beer for a rich and flavourful fondue. Simply grate the cheese and heat it with the beer, stirring until smooth.

So, there you have it! Some fondue hot drink ideas to get you started. Get creative, and don't be afraid to experiment with different cheeses, spices, and dips. Enjoy!

Prepare Shabu-Shabu or Hot Pot

Shabu-shabu is a hot pot dish inspired by Chinese hot pot that originated in Osaka, Japan, in the 1950s. The name comes from the swishing sound ("shabu shabu") that the ingredients make when they are stirred around in the broth.

To make shabu-shabu, you will need a pot, a stove or burner, and some basic ingredients. Here is a step-by-step guide:

• Prepare the ingredients: The key ingredients for shabu-shabu are thinly sliced meat (usually beef or pork), tofu, vegetables, and noodles. For the meat, it is important to slice it as thinly as possible so that it cooks quickly in the broth. Firm tofu is recommended as it holds its shape better than soft tofu. For vegetables, you can use cabbage, carrot, spring onion, and mushrooms such as enoki and shiitake. Udon noodles are a popular choice, but you can also use other types of noodles.
• Make the broth: Fill a pot or saucepan with water and dashi powder (or homemade dashi stock) and bring it to a boil. Dashi powder is a type of soup stock seasoning commonly used in Japanese cuisine.
• Cook the ingredients: Once the broth is boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle boil and start adding the ingredients. Start with the ingredients that take the longest to cook, such as the carrots and cabbage, followed by the tofu, mushrooms, and noodles. The meat should be added last, as it only needs to be cooked for about 30 seconds. The thin slices of meat will cook quickly, turning from pink to light brown.
• Serve and enjoy: Use chopsticks or a slotted spoon to take the ingredients out of the broth. Traditionally, the meat is dipped in a sesame sauce, and the vegetables are dipped in a ponzu sauce. However, you can experiment and dip the ingredients in the sauce of your preference. Shabu-shabu is typically served with rice, and you can also use the leftover broth to make a Japanese rice soup called zosui.

Hot pot is a similar concept to shabu-shabu, but it is a broader term that encompasses various styles and ingredients. Hot pot is a communal dining experience where diners cook a variety of raw ingredients in a simmering pot of soup at the center of the table. Each person can customize their meal by choosing their favorite ingredients and dipping sauces. Here is a step-by-step guide to preparing a hot pot:

• Gather your equipment: You will need a heat source such as a portable burner or an electric hot plate, a pot (preferably wide and relatively shallow), chopsticks, sauce bowls, and metal hot pot baskets or wire ladles (optional).
• Prepare the ingredients: The beauty of hot pot is that you can choose a variety of ingredients according to your preference. Common options include meat (sliced beef, lamb, or pork), seafood (shrimp, fish, squid), vegetables (leafy greens, cabbage, mushrooms), tofu, and starches (noodles, rice cakes, dumplings).
• Make the broth: You can make your own broth from scratch or use a pre-packaged hot pot soup base. If making your own, you can use chicken soup as a base and add ingredients like goji berries, ginger, and scallions. You can also experiment with different flavors, such as tomato soup base, fiery Sichuan hot pot, or mushroom-based broth.
• Cook and serve: Place the pot of broth on the heat source in the center of the table. Provide each diner with their own plate of raw ingredients and dipping sauces. Once the broth reaches a boil, start adding the ingredients to the pot and cook them according to your preference. Use the wire ladles or chopsticks to retrieve the cooked items from the pot and enjoy!

Frequently asked questions