Kitchen & Food

#8 · Emergency fondue fork

Thread a cube of bread or cheese onto the end and dip it into the fondue pot. Works beautifully in a fondue emergency.

Fondue forks are the definitive once-a-year object: you own six, you are hosting eight, and the other two are in a box in the loft. A wooden chopstick stands in without anyone at the table particularly noticing.

How to do it

1. Use plain untreated wood - lacquer is not meant to sit in a hot pot.
2. Skewer the bread, meat or fruit firmly, pushing the point right through so it cannot slide off.
3. Dip and swirl gently rather than stirring - vigorous stirring drops everyone else's bread into the pot.
4. Lift slowly and let the excess run back in.
5. Slide the piece onto your own plate before eating it, rather than eating from the communal-pot end.

Why it works

Bamboo conducts heat about a hundredth as well as stainless steel, so the handle end stays comfortable while the tip sits in 60°C cheese. This is the same reason wooden spoon handles are pleasant and metal ones are not.

Tips & warnings

• Colour-code each guest's chopstick with a dab of nail varnish or a rubber band. Fondue etiquette collapses without this.
• The tip stays hot for a surprisingly long time after it comes out. Warn people once.
• Meat fondue in hot oil is a different and more dangerous proposition than cheese - use proper metal forks for that.