Ski Season has arrived. A fun idea to help everyone warm up after a day on the slopes is have an Après Ski Party.
Skiing can work up quite an appetite and Fondue is the perfect alpine favorite. It is easy to put together. All you need is a pot and a bunch of veggies, cubed bread and sausage. Even better, a lot of it can be done ahead of time. The traditional cheeses for Fondue are Emmenthal, Gruyere and Comte. You can find a wide variety of Fondue pots on Amazon.
Don’t forget the best part. When you are almost done leave a thin coating of cheese on the bottom of the pot and lower the flame to allow the coating to turn into a brown crust. This is considered a delicacy in Switzerland.
Here is my favorite Fondue Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 garlic clove
1 ½ cups dry white wine
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
2 Teaspoons Kirsch (optional)
2 cups Emmental Cheese, coarsely chopped (approx. ½ pound)
2 cups Gruyere Cheese, coarsely chopped (approx. ½ pound)
Directions:
- Rub the inside of a heavy pot with cut sides of garlic and then discard garlic.
- Add wine to pot and bring to simmer over moderate heat.
- Stir together cornstarch and kirsch (if using, otherwise use water or wine) in a cup.
- Gradually add cheese to pot and cook, stirring constantly in a zigzag motion to prevent the cheese from balling up and until the cheese is just melted and creamy. Do not let boil.
- Stir cornstarch mixture again and stir into Fondue.
- Bring fondue to a simmer and cook, stirring until thickened (approx. 6-8 minutes).
- Transfer to a fondue pot set over a flame.
The items I included on my Fondue platter include:
- Cubes of Baguette
- Apple Slices
- Roasted Potatoes
- Blanched Broccoli Florets
- Kielbasa Sausage (sliced and sautéed until browned)
- Bell Pepper
For the kiddos I put together a Grilled Cheese Bar with ski related names.
For beverages my friend Lauren, from CreatifDesigns4You, helped me create a drink menu. I recommend serving Alaska Amber Beer and Anne de K Pinot Gris Schlossberg Grand Cru. For a fun winter cocktail I suggest Winter Pomelo Ginger Margaritas.
The recipe for Winter Pomelo Ginger Margaritas can be found here:
Ingredients:
Juice of 1 to 2 pomelos
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lime
2 ounces tequila anejo
1 tablespoon honey
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 (12-ounce) lemon-lime soda, chilled
Grapefruit wedge, for garnish
Directions:
- Combine grapefruit juice, lemon juice, lime juice, tequila, honey, and ginger.
- Divide between two glasses and top off with lemon-lime soda.
- Garnish with grapefruit wedge.
Recipe source: Muy Bueno Cookbook
For dessert I served raspberry chocolate chip ice cream in champagne flutes with a sprig of mint.
I like to send my guests home with a little parting gift. For the adults, silver flasks are a great idea.
For the kiddos I put together Après Ski Survival Bags which included sun glasses, chapstick, mittens and a water bottle.
Have a great ski season!
Photography by: S.Wolfe Photography
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