How to Make Fondue

Fondue Do's

Do prepare the fondue on the stovetop before transferring it to the burner. Melt the chocolate or cheese fondue, or heat the oil completely. Over an alcohol burner or candle alone, it will never get hot enough to eat.

Do experiment with fondues beyond the traditional Swiss method. Make a British-inspired fondue with hard cider and Stilton, or a Mexican-flavored one with pepper Jack cheese and chipotle peppers. If you're watching your fat intake, try cooking fondue bourguignonne in boiling broth instead of oil.

Do stir the fondue pot frequently, whether it contains cheese, chocolate, or oil. Stirring distributes the heat, keeps the cheese and chocolate fondue smooth, and prevents scorched spots in the center of the pan.

Fondue Don'ts

Don't serve more than one type of fondue at a meal. After a rich cheese or meat fondue, serve something light for dessert, not a chocolate fondue.

If you're doubling a cheese fondue recipe, don't double the liquid. Increase the liquid by 1 1/2. Otherwise, the fondue will be soupy, not thick.

Don't throw away the golden crust left on the bottom of the fondue pot. It's considered a delicacy, to be peeled off and shared among fondue aficionados.

Fondue Lore

If a woman drops her cube of bread or meat off her fondue fork and into the pot, she must kiss all the men at the table.

If a man drops food off his fork into the pot, he must supply another bottle of wine for the table.

According to tradition, you must drink wine, not cold water, with fondue. A cold liquid will supposedly firm all the melted cheese in your stomach into an indigestible ball. (But keep in mind that if this were entirely true, a cheese pizza and a beer wouldn't be the excellent partners they are.)