Hi,

I've a number of cast iron pieces on hand - mostly Lodge, one
(heart-shaped) Le Creuscet Dutch oven. I'd like to make regular old
fondue in the pots because they retain heat so well. I have a few
questions, though.

1 - Which dutch oven to use? The LC oven is enameled and therefore my
first choice. However, I'd like the flexibility to use the Lodge
serving pot (mini dutch oven) as well - especially when camping. Will
the acidic elements of a fondue recipe be sufficient to damage the
seasoning on the Lodge?

2 - What's the best way to maintain heat? Is the pot, itself, enough?
Should I heat a trivet? Perhaps a candle under a supporting rack could
maintain some heat?

3 - Any other advice, especially for replicating this when camping?

Thanks!
Phil

(East Bay) Phil wrote:

> 2 - What's the best way to maintain heat? Is the pot, itself, enough?
> Should I heat a trivet? Perhaps a candle under a supporting rack could
> maintain some heat?
>

The pot itself will hold heat for a short period of time, maybe
a half hour or so. Anything beyond that and you'll need a heat
source to keep it warm. Maybe you could keep it close to, but
not directly over, the campfire.

I wouldn't use a candle on anything other than camping gear
as they leave all sorts of nasty carbon deposits. I'd use
sterno instead.

--
Reg

(East Bay) Phil wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've a number of cast iron pieces on hand - mostly Lodge, one
> (heart-shaped) Le Creuscet Dutch oven. I'd like to make regular old
> fondue in the pots because they retain heat so well. I have a few
> questions, though.
>
> 1 - Which dutch oven to use? The LC oven is enameled and therefore my
> first choice. However, I'd like the flexibility to use the Lodge
> serving pot (mini dutch oven) as well - especially when camping. Will
> the acidic elements of a fondue recipe be sufficient to damage the
> seasoning on the Lodge?

What acidic elements? Oil and meat. Sauces are for dipping and aren't
cooked. You've never done this, have you?

> 2 - What's the best way to maintain heat? Is the pot, itself, enough?
> Should I heat a trivet? Perhaps a candle under a supporting rack could
> maintain some heat?

The pot isn't enough. A trivet isn't enough. We used cast iron pots in
my restaurants. Always either an alcohol burner or a Sterno. Nothing
else portable like that will do.

> 3 - Any other advice, especially for replicating this when camping?

Go find a recipe rather than going off half-cocked. Find out what you're
really discussing.

Pastorio

> > 1 - Which dutch oven to use? The LC oven is enameled and therefore
> > my first choice. However, I'd like the flexibility to use the Lodge
> > serving pot (mini dutch oven) as well - especially when camping.
> > Will the acidic elements of a fondue recipe be sufficient to damage
> > the seasoning on the Lodge?
>
> What acidic elements? Oil and meat. Sauces are for dipping and aren't
> cooked. You've never done this, have you?

Wine, lemon juice....

> > 2 - What's the best way to maintain heat? Is the pot, itself,
> > enough? Should I heat a trivet? Perhaps a candle under a
> > supporting rack could maintain some heat?
>
> The pot isn't enough. A trivet isn't enough. We used cast iron pots
> in my restaurants. Always either an alcohol burner or a Sterno.
> Nothing else portable like that will do.

OK

> > 3 - Any other advice, especially for replicating this when camping?
>
> Go find a recipe rather than going off half-cocked. Find out what
> you're really discussing.

Wow. Who ****ed in your coffee?

(East Bay) Phil wrote:

>>>1 - Which dutch oven to use? The LC oven is enameled and therefore
>>>my first choice. However, I'd like the flexibility to use the Lodge
>>>serving pot (mini dutch oven) as well - especially when camping.
>>>Will the acidic elements of a fondue recipe be sufficient to damage
>>>the seasoning on the Lodge?
>>
>>What acidic elements? Oil and meat. Sauces are for dipping and aren't
>>cooked. You've never done this, have you?
>
> Wine, lemon juice....

Nice non-answer. So you haven't done this. I thought not.

The pot contains hot oil. One cooks plain cubes of meat in it. Period.

No wine. No lemon juice. No acid ingredients. Just oil in the pot. Just
meat cooked in it.

>>>2 - What's the best way to maintain heat? Is the pot, itself,
>>>enough? Should I heat a trivet? Perhaps a candle under a
>>>supporting rack could maintain some heat?
>>
>>The pot isn't enough. A trivet isn't enough. We used cast iron pots
>>in my restaurants. Always either an alcohol burner or a Sterno.
>>Nothing else portable like that will do.
>
> OK
>
>>>3 - Any other advice, especially for replicating this when camping?
>>
>>Go find a recipe rather than going off half-cocked. Find out what
>>you're really discussing.
>
> Wow. Who ****ed in your coffee?

Almost any fool who asks stupid questions about things they know nothing
about rather than taking a moment to do even the most fleeting research.

Questions...?

Pastorio

On Fri, 31 Mar 2006 19:59:12 -0500, "Bob (this one)" >
wrote:

>(East Bay) Phil wrote:
>
>>>>1 - Which dutch oven to use? The LC oven is enameled and therefore
>>>>my first choice. However, I'd like the flexibility to use the Lodge
>>>>serving pot (mini dutch oven) as well - especially when camping.
>>>>Will the acidic elements of a fondue recipe be sufficient to damage
>>>>the seasoning on the Lodge?
>>>
>>>What acidic elements? Oil and meat. Sauces are for dipping and aren't
>>>cooked. You've never done this, have you?
>>
>> Wine, lemon juice....
>
>Nice non-answer. So you haven't done this. I thought not.
>
>The pot contains hot oil. One cooks plain cubes of meat in it. Period.
>
>No wine. No lemon juice. No acid ingredients. Just oil in the pot. Just
>meat cooked in it.

Are you sure he isn't thinking of *cheese fondue*, which indeed
contains wine and sometimes lemon juice?

Nathalie in Switzerland (being Swiss, when I read "fondue" I
immediately thought of cheese fondue)

Nathalie Chiva wrote:
> On Fri, 31 Mar 2006 19:59:12 -0500, "Bob (this one)" >
> wrote:
>
>>(East Bay) Phil wrote:
>
>>>>>1 - Which dutch oven to use? The LC oven is enameled and therefore
>>>>>my first choice. However, I'd like the flexibility to use the Lodge
>>>>>serving pot (mini dutch oven) as well - especially when camping.
>>>>>Will the acidic elements of a fondue recipe be sufficient to damage
>>>>>the seasoning on the Lodge?
>>>>
>>>>What acidic elements? Oil and meat. Sauces are for dipping and aren't
>>>>cooked. You've never done this, have you?
>>>
>>>Wine, lemon juice....
>>
>>Nice non-answer. So you haven't done this. I thought not.
>>
>>The pot contains hot oil. One cooks plain cubes of meat in it. Period.
>>
>>No wine. No lemon juice. No acid ingredients. Just oil in the pot. Just
>>meat cooked in it.
>
> Are you sure he isn't thinking of *cheese fondue*, which indeed
> contains wine and sometimes lemon juice?

No, I'm not. But the OP missed the several chances to say that it was
cheese, if it is. I wrote "oil and meat" which should have given a clue
that the OP wasn't exactly clear if cheese was the subject.

Using a cast iron cook/serving pot for cheese fondue is not a good idea.
The temperature control necessary to assemble and create the homogeneous
mixture of a cheese fondue is very difficult to maintain with cast iron
- very easy to make too hot or not hot enough and it takes a fair amount
of time to correct. Any but the smoothest cast iron will cause cheese to
adhere to the irregularities. Perhaps that's why a glazed caquelon has
been the preferred cheese fondue pot. Not much chance for successfully
getting "la religieuse" to develop with cast iron.

> Nathalie in Switzerland (being Swiss, when I read "fondue" I
> immediately thought of cheese fondue)

<LOL> Not chocolate...?

Pastorio

"East Bay Phil" > wrote in
message news:20060330122841.32bdcef7@localhost...
> Hi,
>
> I've a number of cast iron pieces on hand - mostly Lodge, one
> (heart-shaped) Le Creuscet Dutch oven. I'd like to make regular old
> fondue in the pots because they retain heat so well. I have a few
> questions, though.
>
> 1 - Which dutch oven to use? The LC oven is enameled and therefore my
> first choice. However, I'd like the flexibility to use the Lodge
> serving pot (mini dutch oven) as well - especially when camping. Will
> the acidic elements of a fondue recipe be sufficient to damage the
> seasoning on the Lodge?
>
> 2 - What's the best way to maintain heat? Is the pot, itself, enough?
> Should I heat a trivet? Perhaps a candle under a supporting rack could
> maintain some heat?
>
> 3 - Any other advice, especially for replicating this when camping?
>
> Thanks!
> Phil

If your CI is well seasoned the food acids should not hurt it. I tried
straight Hydrochloric acid on a well seasoned skillet to see if there was an
effect --there wasn't.
--
Lefty

Life is for learning
The worst I ever had was wonderful