Irish Dubliner Fondue
Irish Dubliner Fondue: Who says Saint Paddy’s Day means Corned Beef and Green Beer? Sometimes the most FUN holiday dishes aren’t the most traditional.
Don’t get me wrong, I love traditions. Hubs and I have a standing lunch appointment every Saint Patrick’s Day at a local Irish Pub. We’ve held our March 17th lunch appointment our entire marriage; even when we had to cart our babies (robed in Notre Dame attire) into the pub with us–don’t judge.
We have a lot of family traditions. In fact, fondue itself is customary in our house.
Lt. Dan and I got married directly after graduating from college. We saved every penny we earned waiting tables to take a marvelous honeymoon before we had to start our official jobs and “grown-up” life. After weighing our options, we discovered we had saved enough money to spend a month in Colorado or a week on some island. Colorado it was!
What great memories I have of our first month as a married couple. We spent a couple weeks hiking, horseback riding, four-wheeling and exploring all the natural hot springs in Steamboat Springs. We rafted down the Colorado River. Hand-in-hand, we poked through obscure shops in downtown Colorado Springs. We rambled around Red Rocks. Yet one of my favorite memories was dining at a little fondue restaurant in Manitou Springs. Nestled at the foot of Pike’s Peak, this quaint mountain town is home of The Mona Lisa Fondue Restaurant, among other things. One evening we sat out on an idyllic balcony in the crisp mountain air and ate the most exquisite meal either of us had ever experienced in our 22 years of life.
Course after course, we laughed and whispered sweet nothings to each other, as we devoured every last morsel brought to our table. Upon returning home, we promptly bought our first fondue pot and our tradition emerged. Over the last twelve years, we have hosted uncountable fondue parties. We have gone through several fondue pots and have collected all sorts of fondue paraphernalia. Our tradition lives on…
So, nothing against traditions. But think of the wonderfully unconventional dishes one can make with traditional Irish ingredients! Dishes such as Irish Dubliner Fondue or Chocolate Guinness Floats… just off the top of my head. *wink*
Dubliner is a sharp nutty cheese with a slightly brittle texture. It melts well and stands up nicely against the tang of Harp beer. Irish Dubliner Fondue is a delightful deviation from classic Swiss fondue. This pub-style dip is easy to prepare and will disappear in moments when paired with fresh bread, pickles and fruit!
You can prepare your fondue in most fondue pots, but I like to cook it in another small pot. It makes a much tidier presentation.
Serve Irish Dubliner Fondue with smooth and creamy Chocolate Guinness Floats for Saint Paddy’s Day this year!
You won’t need a “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” T-shirt to get a little St. Paddy’s Day love!
Irish Dubliner Fondue
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic cracked
- 1 1/4 cup Harp beer or pale Irish beer
- 8 ounces shredded Dubliner Cheese or sharp cheddar
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 2 teaspoons ground mustard
- Pepper
Instructions
- Place a small sauce pot over medium heat. Pour the beer in the pot. Peel and crack one garlic clove; then add it to the pot.
- Mix the shredded cheese with the flour and ground mustard. Slowly add the floured cheese to the beer. Whisk until smooth. You will think you’ve made a mistake until the mixture gets hot enough to thicken and come together—just keep whisking! (5-10 minutes) Remove the garlic clove.
- Once smooth and thick, pour into a fondue pot and serve! Serve with bread cut into cubes, sliced apples, grapes, gherkin pickles, and boiled baby potatoes.
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I would love a small Le Creuset French Oven, maybe the 2.75 qt size :)
I loved hearing about your honeymoon story. Very sweet. And what yumminess followed.
I usually do meat fondues and now I should start doing cheese fondues. That looks so yummy.
Ice cream in guiness…that sounds amazing.
You had me at cheese foundue! The pot looks really nice, and perfect for two.
Oh my word, the bread, the cheese.. TOOTHSOME…I bet even at an import cheese deli that I won’t be able to find it.. it’s been eons since I’ve had fondue, I like both, savory and sweet, which are you partial toward?
E.M., you can find KerryGold at most grocery stores these days. Great thing about living in the 21st century … very few culinary borders left to cross. Cheers!
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I would love to have a Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron 3.5 Quart Braiser in Cherry!
http://www.centralchef.com/storefrontprofiles/DeluxeSFItemDetail.aspx?sid=1&sfid=123094&c=190141&i=249949394
I love your non-traditional way of celebrating Saint Patrick’s day! Oh I would have loved to try this too
Great story about your honeymoon and your fondue tradition. Guiness goes so well with chocolate–this float sounds so awesome. Happy St. Patty’s!
I am thinking I don’t need to wait until next St. Patrick’s Day for that fondue. I love your takes on recipes.
I love your blog and your Fondue — I know the cheese is great — might pass on the Guinness float. I really like Chef Planet’s non stick grill and BBQ mat. Bet I could get a lot of good use out of that.
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