Chocolate Fondue

Serves 4



Ingredients:

For the Fondue:



2 cups/473 ml heavy whipping cream

10 ounces/300 g good-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped

Accompaniments:



One 1-pound/454-g basket fresh strawberries with stems, halved lengthwise

One 6-ounce/170-g basket fresh blackberries

2 bananas, peeled and cut crosswise into thick rounds

2 nectarines, pitted, cut into wedges

2 apricots, pitted, cut into wedges

4 almond biscotti

Method:

1. Heat the cream in a heavy medium sauce pan over medium heat until it simmers. Decrease the heat to low. Add the chocolate to the cream and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.



2. Once the mixture is smooth, pour it into a fondue pot and place it over a canned heat burner to keep it warm. Arrange the fruit and biscotti on a platter and serve with the fondue, allowing diners to skewer the fruit with a fork and dip the fruit and biscotti into the chocolate fondue.

Cheese Fondue

Serves 4



Ingredients:

For the Fondue:



6 tablespoons/80 g butter

3 tablespoons/30 g all purpose flour

¼ cup/50 ml Kirshwasser

1 cup/275 ml whole milk

3 ounces/90 g Emmenthaler cheese or any type of Swiss, cubed

3 ounces/90 g Gruyère cheese, cubed

3 ounces/90 g Raclette cheese, cubed

3 ounces/90 g creamy blue cheese or Fontina cheese, cubed (use the Fontina cheese if a more mild flavor is desired)

Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

Accompaniments:



1 loaf crusty French bread, torn into bite-size pieces

3 cups/175 g broccoli florets

1 yellow squash, cut into sticks

1 zucchini, cut into sticks

12 small white mushrooms, halved

½ English cucumber, cut into sticks

4 green onions, quartered crosswise

Method:



1. Melt the butter in a heavy large sauce pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour. Constantly whisk for 1 minute or until the mixture is smooth and begins to bubble. Slowly whisk in the Kirshwasser. Whisk in the milk. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.



2. Slowly add the cheese, stirring until all the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth (you may need to add a little more milk if the mixture becomes too thick). Season the fondue to taste with the nutmeg.



3. Transfer the fondue to a fondue pot and place it over a canned heat burner to keep it warm. Arrange the bread, broccoli florets, yellow squash, zucchini, mushrooms, cucumber and green onions on a platter and serve with the fondue, allowing diners to skewer the bread and vegetables with a fork and dip them into the cheese fondue.