Lamb and Pork Fondue

This recipe for lamb and pork fondue with rosemary roasted garlic butter dipping sauce and red pepper jelly sauce is from episode 13 of This Food That Wine.

Wine Suggestion: Malbec

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

Lamb and Pork Fondue

• 3 cups Canola oil or vegetable oil (750ml) (please follow manufactures instructions of your fondue pot regarding oil capacity)
• 1 lb lamb tenderloin, silver skin and excess fat removed cut into ¾ inch cubes (454 g)
• 1 lb pork tenderloin, silver skin and excess fat removed cut into ¾ inch cubes(454 g)

Rosemary Roasted Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce

• 1 whole bulb of garlic
• ½ teaspoon olive oil (2.5 ml)
• Pepper to taste

Red Pepper Jelly Sauce

• 1 cup of prepared red pepper jelly (250ml)
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (30ml)

Fondue Forks

Directions

Lamb and Pork Fondue

1. Preheat oil in metal oil fondue pot to approximately 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).
2. Plate uncooked cubes of lamb & pork close to the fondue pot.
3. To serve, each guest can spear their own a cube of meat with a fondue fork and hold the meat in the hot oil until desired doneness, about 1-3 minutes.
4. Serve with rosemary roasted garlic butter dipping sauce and red pepper jelly sauce for dipping (see recipes).

Rosemary Roasted Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce

1. To roast the garlic, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Slice one whole head of garlic in half (through its equator). Use a fork to puncture the exposed garlic cloves all over. Drizzle the exposed surface with ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) of olive oil. Sprinkle with pepper to taste.
2. Place garlic in a small oven proof dish and cover with foil. Place it in the preheated oven to roast for 20–30 minutes or until the garlic is soft when pressed. Allow to cool. Use your hands or the dull edge of a knife to squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins into a small bowl. Discard the papery skins.  Use a fork to mash the cloves together until smooth.  Use the roasted garlic immediately or store in an air tight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
3. Place a medium sized saucepan over low heat. Slowly melt down the butter.  Add the rosemary and allow it to simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Mince the roasted garlic and add to the sauce with the lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm as a dipping sauce for the lamb and pork fondue.

Red Pepper Jelly Sauce

1. Set a small sauce pan over low heat.  Add the pepper jelly and vinegar.  Allow the mixture to come to a simmer and whisk until all ingredients are incorporated.
2. Serve warm as a dipping sauce for lamb and pork fondue.

Pairing Notes

Description: Malbec can range from very robust, spicy, and tannic to smooth, easier drinking styles.  This one falls into the second category, still rich and quite full bodied, but with a smooth, mellow texture.  It has aromas and flavors of ripe blackberry, plum, and cherry, with subtle spicy and earthy notes.

Pairing: When serving a dish that has both mild and rich flavours (like this fondue) you need a medium bodied wine that can stand up to the stronger flavours while not overpowering the milder ones.  The sauces served with this fondue are important, because they help boost the flavour of the mild pork so it’s not overpowered by the wine. The sweet, fruity flavours complement the sweetness in the red pepper sauce, and the rosemary-garlic butter sauce brings out the earthiness of the wine.

Wine Suggestion: Marcus James Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina)