Pink Peppercorn Fondue

After my first experiment with the pink peppercorn crab cakes, I've started to use toasted and ground pink peppercorns pretty frequently in my cooking.  But my observation so far is that it needs to be treated as a star of a dish.  Just like curry or other pungent, fragrant spices, ground pink peppercorn is pretty intense.Therefore,  I tend to avoid using it in a mixture of other spices or herbs (so far).

It was a cold and rainy day here in New York when I had this craving for fondue.  I made a traditional Swiss style fondue recipe (sans kirsch and nutmeg) and at the last minute, added a heaping tablespoon of the ground pink peppercorn into the fondue.  It was phenomenal, mainly because the pink peppercorn added a floral depth to the fondue, as well as a bit of peppery spice and texture. 
I served this pink peppercorn fondue with sliced pears, large slices of sauteed portabella mushrooms (large enough for us to put on a skewer and dip effectively) and some roasted fingerling potatoes.

Now if I could only figure out how to get a consistent flame under my fondue pot, I'd be all set.  I either have a massive fire under the pot or just a little whimper.  I suppose this is based on adding too much or not enough alcohol to the fondue starter, but I'm yet to get it right....

Comments

[Adam]

Something I recently tried in a fondue is a tablespoon of ground chipotle peppers (available from Penzeys.) They added a wonderful smokey flavor, as well as a good amount of kick. Definitely not traditional, but delicious none the less.

Also, regarding the flame, it's just not possible in my opinion. After trying for years to get candles, sterno, and other heat sources to either keep the fondue warm enough or not scorch it, I finally switched to an electric fondue pot. I have to say, it works beautifully, and they are dirt cheap (I got mine for around $20). It might be less romantic than the flame, but let me tell you, nothing kills the vibe you've worked so hard to create like a big pot of burnt chocolate fondue with a little wisp of smoke coming out...

[joe]

chipotle would be nice, yes. i also have done curry, which i found excellent as well. i guess i'll try the electric!

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