the holiday

Valentine’s Day Fondues

Looking for some great (romantic) recipes for Valentine’s Day? Try a classic fondue from Peggy Fallon’s Great Party Fondues (Wiley, 2008). Offering everything you need to know about preparing and serving great-tasting fondue, the book includes cheese, savory and dessert fondues, straightforward advice and no-fuss recipes.

Gingered White Chocolate Fondue

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A triple dose of ginger—candied, ground and fresh—lends extra sophistication to this snowy white fondue. Serve with bite-size squares of angel food cake, pineapple chunks, dried apricots, Chinese fortune cookies and—of course—gingersnaps. When buying white chocolate, be sure the label lists cocoa butter as a major ingredient; confectionery coating, also called summer coating, will not work for fondue.

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 pound white chocolate, chopped

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine cream, 2 tablespoons crystallized ginger, ground ginger and fresh ginger. Cook over medium heat, watching to make sure it doesn’t bubble up, until heated through.
2. Put white chocolate in a ceramic fondue pot. Pour in hot cream and whisk until chocolate melts. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon crystallized ginger over top. Keep warm over a low flame for dipping. If it begins to boil, turn off heat. Makes about 3 cups; 8 to 10 servings.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Peggy Fallon’s Great Party Fondues (Wiley, 2008)

Brie Fondue With Crab And Champagne

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A Valentine’s Day dinner would be the perfect time to present this easy and elegant fondue. The most time consuming part is trimming the rind from the cheese. (Although edible, the rind will not melt completely, and it lends an unpleasant flavor to fondue.) If you have any flat, leftover champagne, use it here. Look for a young, fresh Brie with few striations in the rind and no smell of ammonia. Serve with bread cubes or sticks, tiny roasted artichoke hearts, Belgian endive leaves, steamed fingerling potatoes, or asparagus spears.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups brut champagne or sparkling wine
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 pound Brie cheese, well chilled, rind removed, cheese cut into small cubes
8 ounces crabmeat, drained well and picked over to remove any shell or bits of cartilage
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, without allowing it to color. Whisk in champagne and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, whisking until thickened and smooth. Reduce heat to low and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Gradually stir in Brie, letting each addition melt before adding more. Stir in crab and cayenne. Season with a dash of salt if needed.
3. Transfer to a fondue pot, preferably ceramic or enameled cast iron, and sprinkle chives over the top. Regulate heat under the pot, if possible, so that fondue remains warm, not hot. Makes about 3 1/2 cups; 8 to 10 appetizer servings.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Peggy Fallon’s Great Party Fondues (Wiley, 2008)