Charcuterie, Fondue
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Fondue and charcuterie. Two essentially opposite concepts that go hand in hand. Fondue concentrates on the ingredients while they are raw; charcuterie focuses on completed elements that when mixed and matched together can complement each other. Both food styles are excellent conversation pieces – and for me, just another way to play with my food.
I love to fondue. Whether I’m dipping croustinis in hot brie or making a pizza fondue pot, there’s no end to the ways or things you can fondue. For NYE, I really want to put out a huge fondue spread for all our friends to gather around and cook their way into the New Year.
The key to a perfect fondue is having a variety of meats to cook. I made simple pork meatballs to serve along some nice steak, shrimp and chicken legs.
Any decent steak will do – because I like to go all out at the end of the year, I splurged on some $25 per pound ribeye, and boy was it worth it!
In retrospect, I probably would have rather served marinated chicken breast cut into chunks instead of the legs, because they take much longer to cook. However, if you aren’t in any sort of rush – and let’s be honest, if you are planning on doing a fondue night, you’re already pretty dedicated – fryer size chicken legs can be a welcome addition.
I also love any and all kinds of sauces that I can dip my freshly fried meat bites into – from green sriracha and ginger chili to sweet mustard BBQ sauce, whatever sauces you love can be used for dipping!
On the opposite end of the table, I have a variety of dried and cured meats, crackers and fresh bread and fruits. In the furthest corner, even dessert finds a place on my charcuterie board.
Whenever we have a charcuterie night, I always try to find the best deals. You get to try some fun stuff when you pick up what’s on sale that day! For our dried meats, I selected a variety of jerky and pepperonis.
The best way to get cheese for a charcuterie board is to grab cheeses from a sample or precut selection basket. I’ve found these in most standard grocery stores where I live – usually a basket or section of the fine cheese department where bits and pieces of larger cheeses are sold, often for a few bucks.
And no fondue and charcuterie night is complete without some dessert – fresh strawberries and grapes offer fruity options when served side by side with cheesecake, marshmallows and graham crackers for dipping in a white and dark chocolate fondue pot.
All said and done, this fondue and charcuterie spread we enjoyed on a romantic snowy evening, but I can’t wait to recreate it for our NYE guests!
Happy New Year!
DIY Fondue & Charcuterie Spread
The Starving Chef
Fondue concentrates on the ingredients while they are raw; charcuterie focuses on completed elements that when mixed & matched together can complement each othe
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Prep Time 1 hour hr
Assemble Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 2 hours hrs
Course Charcuterie, Fondue
Cuisine Date Night, Fancy Food, Finger Food, Quick & Easy
Servings 4
Ingredients
FOR RAW FONDUE:
- 16 oz ribeye steak or filet mignon cut into bite size pieces
- 10 shrimp peeled & tail on
- 16 oz chopped chicken breast or fryer legs
- 10 pork meatballs recipe follows
- 1 lemon sliced for spritzing
- 1 cup vegetable oil + more as needed to fill fondue pot 1/2 way
FOR FONDUE SAUCES:
- ½ cup green sriracha
- ½ cup garlic vinaigrette
- ½ cup cranberry sauce
- ½ cup sweet mustard BBQ sauce
- ½ cup spicy Thai ginger sauce
FOR PORK MEATBALLS:
FOR CHARCUTERIE BOARD INSPIRATION:
- sweet & spicy pepperoni sliced
- cured meats (jerkies, meat sticks, etc.)
- variety "fancy" cheese (gouda, goat cheese, mozzarella, etc.)
- butter crackers
- fresh bread sliced
- fresh fruit (grapes, strawberries, oranges, etc.)
FOR CHOCOLATE FONDUE:
- 1 cup dark chocolate melts
- 1 cup white chocolate melts
- cheesecake slices / cubes
- graham crackers
- marshmallows
- strawberries
Instructions
FOR MEAT FONDUE:
Heat oil in a fondue pot until shimmering – about 300 F to 350 F.
Season the steak with salt and pepper. Cut the steak into bite size pieces. Peel the shrimp leaving the tails on. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Prepare the pork meatballs (recipe follows).
STEAK COOK TIME: 2-3 minutes for rare, 3-4 minutes for medium, 4-5 minutes for well done
SHRIMP COOK TIME: 1-2 minutes
CHICKEN COOK TIME (Chicken Legs): 4-5 minutes
CHICKEN COOK TIME (Chopped Chicken Breast): 2-4 minutes
Spritz cooked items with fresh lemon, as desired. Serve with dipping sauces. Enjoy!
FOR PORK MEATBALLS:
Combine all ingredients for meatballs. Use a half tablespoon of the meat mixture to roll into individual, small meatballs. Chill until ready to cook in the hot oil. Bring to room temperature prior to cooking.
PORK MEATBALLS COOK TIME: 3-4 minutes
FOR CHARCUTERIE BOARD:
Spread out assorted meats and cheeses in various rows and piles, in a pleasing manner. Add pops of color from fruits between slices of cheese, meats and crackers.
FOR CHOCOLATE FONDUE:
Melt the chocolates in the microwave before pouring into warming pot. Swirl the melted chocolate together and use to dip in your favorite desserts, fruits and more! Enjoy!
Keyword charcuterie, fondue
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