Dave got me the perfect present for Christmas (although I may have tipped him off), a brand-new fondue set after our last one proved pretty crappy. I didn't have time to test it out before the holidays and Dave had been hinting towards fondue for at least a week so we finally tested it out. What a relief! It works so much better. So for all our guests who have experienced fondue before the new set, you'll need to come back and try it again ;) No smells of the cheese burning, then the flame going out, having to re-light numerous times, then the cheese hardening, etc. This was just like in the restaurants.
I'm pretty set on the fondue recipe, although this time, I kept the heat really low and let it take its time. The past few times I've made fondue, I think I've had the temperature too high and the cheese has started to separate. This technique worked much better.
While fondue at the McDowell house is definitely a full meal with all the dippers I make, I still like to at least have a salad accompanying the cheese feast. I found a great one in (once again) Ellie Krieger's So Easy cookbook.
5-Minute Salad: Tricolor salad with white beans and Parmesan
5c lightly packed arugula (about 5 oz)
1 head radicchio, core removed, sliced
2 Belgian endives, bottom 1/2 in removed, sliced
1 15-oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2c shaved Parmesan cheese (about 2 oz)
1/2c extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
In a large bowl, toss together all the ingredients except the liquids and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar and salt. Toss the salad with the dressing right before serving.
Results: The addition of the white beans in the salad really made it more fulfilling. It was actually a bit much for the fondue, but would be great alongside a piece of fish or maybe a pork chop. I have never made anything with radicchio or endives and even though it's a few extra ingredients at the store, I really liked the variety to a simple green salad. The Parm on top is always tasty, but again, perhaps unnecessary with fondue!
0 comments:
Post a Comment