Fondue Night

The Melting Pot restaurant makes absolutely scrumptious food at outrageous prices.
Their "Big Night Out" feast will cost 2 people about $100. Which is definitely out of our typical date-night budget. Consequently, I hunted for delicious recipes to help me duplicate the fondue experience for our large family at a fraction of the cost.

The meal is still not cheap because of the gourmet cheese it requires, but it is infinitely less expensive than the restaurant, and our family LOVES the result. This is a rich meal that we reserve for special occasions. We usually have it for our family Valentine's Day dinner, or Matt will request it for his birthday.

We also discovered that we don't really miss having the standard second course of meats. We just like warmed ham cubes dipped along with standard cheese fondue fare. 

This meal has two courses: 

     1) Cheese Fondue Main Dish

     2) Chocolate Turtle Fondue Dessert

It's also become a family tradition to prepare the meal together. The kids stem strawberries, cut vegetables, or warm up the ham. After all that family preparation, it feels so natural to gather around the pot of molten-cheese-bliss and dig in together too. :D

CHEESE FONDUE MAIN COURSE
Cut the following into bite size cubes for dipping. Use any combination you like:

• French Bread
• Celery
• Carrots
• Granny Smith Apples
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Red Bell Pepper
• Ham Steak

Basic Cheese Fondue

• 1 lb. of Gruyere Cheese, Shredded
• 1/2 lb. of Emmanthaler Cheese, Shredded
• 1/2-1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 1/4 cup White Grape Juice (*White wine is used traditionally, but we've been concerned about the alcohol not burning off, so we just go with white grape juice. We also found that the subtle sweetness added by the grape juice makes it even more delicious!)
• 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
• 1-2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
• dashes of nutmeg
• dashes of pepper 

TIPS:

1. Don't CHEAT on the cheese! We've experimented with a variety of less expensive cheeses, and I strongly advise you not to waste your time and money. You can get away with substituting the emmanthaler with a block of swiss, BUT there is no substitute for real Gruyere!  It MAKES this dish, and nothing else will get the job done. Be careful not include too much of the cheese rind in the mixture or it will give the fondue a sharper flavor. We usually slice off anything that looks waxy or overly hard. 
2. Cheese fondue is not difficult, but there is definitely an art and science to it. Because we don't use alcohol, the acidity of the fondue is altered and it needs the acidity of lemon juice or white wine vinegar to breakdown the cheese proteins. The cornstarch does wonders in smoothing the texture. And blending fondue is best accomplished by stirring in a figure eight motion - I don't know why, but it's TRUE.

 INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat the Fondue pot to about 225 degrees.
2. Sprinkle the garlic in the bottom of the pot and allow to sizzle for a half a minute.
3. Add the White Grape Juice.
4. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice & cornstarch so there aren't any lumps. Add to pot.
5. Slowly sprinkle in handfuls of cheese, stirring in a figure eight. Keep sprinkling until all the cheese is incorporated and melted.
6. Add nutmeg & pepper.
7. Keep stirring until everything is well blended and smooth.
8. If the fondue still needs a thinner or smoother texture, add a tablespoon of lemon juice or cornstarch and stir for another minute.
9. Check the heat as well to make sure the pot is warm but not overly hot. The cheese should NOT be boiling, but if your fondue starts to thicken or solidify then you need to raise the temperature a bit.
10. You will also need to stir the pot periodically while everyone is eating to keep the fondue smooth.

Chocolate Turtle Fondue Dessert

• 2 cups Real Milk Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup Caramel Ice Cream toppings (Hershey's is great. It's inexpensive, and it pours & blends easily.)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts
• FOR DIPPING: Strawberries, bananas, apples, brownie bites, pound cake, rice crispy treats. *We've come to prefer just fruit for dipping with this course to contrast the richness of all the cheese and then chocolate. 

1. In a second fondue pot or double boiler, melt the chocolate over low heat (no higher than 135 degrees.) Stirring constantly. *There's no going back if the chocolate gets burned, but don't worry, this course is simple and always a hit. ;D
2. Stir in the caramel sauce and nuts, and serve immediately with fruit and desserts for dipping.  

Enjoy!