Imperial Fondue Recipes

Steps:

• Rub inside of flameproof earthenware fondue pot or 2-quart saucepan with garlic clove. Add wine and lemon juice and heat over low heat, just until gently bubbling. Gradually add cheese, stirring constantly until smoothly melted. Meanwhile, whisk cornstarch with Kirsch and seasonings until blended to a smooth paste, stir it into cheese and cook 3 minutes more. Adjust seasonings to taste. Decoratively arrange bread and vegetables on a large platter or divide among 4 plates. Traditionally, fondue is served at table in a fondue pot set over an alcohol burner or small candle. Use long forks to spear bread or vegetable of choice and dip into cheese.

Steps:

• For the Miso Dipping Sauce, grind the sesame seeds in a coffee grinder until fine; place with all other ingredients in a small pan over moderate heat, and stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar, bring to the boil; immediately remove from heat and place the sauce in a small serving bowl.
• For the Peanut Dipping Sauce, microwave peanut butter for a few seconds to soften, then place with other ingredients in a bowl and mix together thoroughly; add more water if sauce is too thick, or more peanut butter if too thin.
• For the Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce, place the first four ingredients in a small pan and bring to the boil, stirring; blend cornstarch and water into a slurry, then continuing to stir, add it to the other ingredients until the sauce thickens.

Steps:

• For Chinese Mustard Dipping Sauce, whisk all the ingredients together, except for the cilantro, in a small bowl, and when well mixed, add chopped cilantro.
• For Wasabi Dipping Sauce, place all ingredients in food processor, mix well, strain, and place in small bowl.
• For Ginger Soy Dipping Sauce, combine all ingredients, with the exception of the green onions in a small bowl, and whisk well, and then stir in sliced green onions.
• For Sesame Soy Dipping Sauce, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.

Steps:

• Prepare the chicken, seafood, vegetables, and tofu ahead of time, then refrigerate until needed.
• When ready to eat, arrange all the ingredients attractively on one or more platters and bring to the table.
• Arrange the noodles on a separate platter.
• Place sauce (s) of choice into suitabably sized bowls.
• Combine the dashi or chicken broth, soy sauce, sake or sherry and ginger, in some form of communal cookware that can be placed on the table, for example, an electric wok, stainless steel fondue pot, or Mongolian cooker, and bring to the boil.
• To cook, each person dips an ingredient of choice (except the noodles) into the broth, and when done to liking, dips their portion into a sauce and eats it with rice.
• The broth may need topping up, throughout the meal, to replenish the evaporating'fondue'.
• Traditionalists poach eggs in the broth after all the other ingredients are eaten, placing the cooked eggs over a final bowl of rice.
• Lastly, add the noodles to the remaining broth, cook until tender, then eat as soup.