STEAK
1 kg beef fillet steak
4 t (20 ml) Ina Paarman's Meat Spice
2 T (30 ml) olive oil

Cube the steak into 2cm x 2cm blocks. Season and toss with olive oil. Leave at room temperature for at least an hour before cooking. These will cook very quickly - warn your guests.

CHICKEN
6 chicken breast fillets
2 t (10 ml) Ina Paarman's Chicken Spice
2 T (30 ml) olive oil

Cut the breasts into 1½ cm strips across the grain,double over and spear onto kebab sticks. Leave at room temperature for at least an hour before cooking. These are delicious dipped into the beer batter (recipe follows) before cooking. The batter also protects the chicken from overcooking.

HOW TO COOK MEAT AND VEGETABLES
Use one wok (or two fondue pots) and allocate 2 fondue forks and/or metal skewers per person.
2 x 750 ml canola oil

Warm the oil just before everyone is ready to start cooking. Ideal temperature would be 170ºC-180ºC. The guests skewer cubes of meat and/or vegetables onto their fondue forks and cook them for a few minutes before dipping the cooked morsels into the sauce of their choice. We have also given you a delicious batter recipe to dip the chicken and vegetables in, before cooking. If you do not have many small dishes to give each guest their own selection of sauces, they can simply spoon sauces directly onto their plates. Salads can be dished onto dinner plates.

HOW TO SET THE TABLE

 TIPS FOR THE NOVICE
As soon as the food is cooked it is transferred to your dinner plate with the regular fork. Raw ingredients are once again skewered on the fondue fork and while frying, the cooked food is dipped in or coated with sauce and eaten with the salad accompaniments of your choice. Garlic bread is always a welcome addition.

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Vegetables for Fondue

You can simplify or elaborate on this, but select at least three vegetables from the options given below. Do not omit the baby potatoes, they are always a hit.

BABY POTATOES
750 g baby potatoes
1 T (15 ml) Ina Paarman's Potato Spice
3 T (45 ml) olive oil

Cook the unpeeled potatoes until just done. Cool and cut into halves through the waist. Season and toss with olive oil - leave at room temperature until serving time.

MUSHROOMS
1 small punnet of baby button mushrooms
1 x 300 g punnet portabellini mushrooms
Ina Paarman's Garlic Pepper Seasoning

Wipe the mushroom caps with a damp cloth and cut the portabellini's in half. Leave at room temperature until cooking time. Season just before cooking otherwise they draw too much water. Delicious if dipped in batter just before cooking.

BABY CORN/BUTTERNUT CUBES
1 punnet baby corn and/or ½ small butternut, cubed
2 t (10 ml) Ina Paarman's Potato Spice or Green Onion Seasoning
2 T (30 ml) olive oil
2 T (30 ml) chopped parsley

Keep the corn whole but cut the butternut into small cubes. Season and toss with oil and parsley. Leave to stand at room temperature until cooking time. Can be dipped in batter just before cooking.

BABY TOMATOES
1 x 500 g punnet baby rosa tomatoes
6 fresh rosemary twigs
Ina Paarman's Rosemary & Olive Seasoning

Spear the tomatoes onto wooden skewers through the stem end. Arrange in a bowl with the rosemary. Prepare two small dipping bowls with our Rosemary & Olive Seasoning for your guests to dip their briefly cooked tomatoes in.

BABY MARROWS/ASPARAGUS
1 punnet baby marrows and/or asparagus
2 t (10 ml) Ina Paarman's Lemon & Black Pepper Seasoning
grated rind of one lemon

Cut the washed marrows into 2 cm long lengths and cut the asparagus across in half. Season and toss with lemon rind. Leave to stand at room temperature until time to cook. The seasoning will wilt the marrows a little which removes any bitterness and excess water. Delicious if dipped in batter before cooking.

BEER BATTER
A light and fluffy batter, ideal to coat chicken and vegetable bites. Instead of beer, use soda water for a non-alcoholic variation. It is best to make the batter well in advance to give the flour time to swell. Fold the beaten egg white in just before needed as this gives extra lightness.

1 cup (250 ml) cake flour
1 t (5 ml) Ina Paarman's Seasoned Sea Salt
1 egg yolk
1 T (15 ml) oil
1 cup (250 ml) beer or soda water
1 egg white

Mix all the ingredients except the egg white in a food processor or with a whisk. Just before use, fold in the stiffly beaten egg white. Dip chicken and vegetables in the batter. Drip off excess batter and deep-fry in wok or fondue pot.

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RAINBOW SALAD PLATTER
200 g calamata olives, pipped and halved
2 ripe avocado's, pipped, peeled and sliced
1 lemon, squeeze juice over sliced avocado
1 small jar (185 g) cocktail gherkins
1 bunch spring or red salad onions, trimmed
1 punnet rocket leaves
1 punnet baby tomatoes, cut in half and seasoned with Ina Paarman's Lemon & Black Pepper Seasoning
½ cup (125 ml) Ina Paarman's Classic Lemon Vinaigrette

Arrange the ingredients in rows of colour on a platter. Pour dressing over just before serving time.

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Select any two or three sauces that appeal to you.

PEPPER SAUCE
1 x 200 ml Ina Paarman's Ready to Serve Pepper Sauce
½ cup (125 ml) fat reduced cream

Mix the sauce with the cream and pour into a microproof serving bowl. Re-heat in the microwave on high for one minute before needed.

CHILLI TOMATO SAUCE with CHEESE
1 x 200 ml Ina Paarman's Ready to Serve Tomato & Chilli Sauce
¼ cup (60 ml) pecorino cheese, finely grated
½ cup (125 ml) fat reduced cream

Mix everything together and decant into a microproof serving dish. Reheat in the microwave on high for 1 minute before needed.

CHEESY MUSTARD SAUCE
1 x 200 ml Ina Paarman's Ready to Serve Cheese Sauce
1 T (15 ml) prepared whole grain mustard

Mix together and decant into a microproof serving dish. Reheat in the microwave on high for 1 minute before needed.

CURRY SAUCE
1 x 200 ml Ina Paarman's Ready to Serve Creamy Curry Sauce
½ cup (125 ml) fresh coriander leaves

Reheat the sauce in the microwave on high for one minute before needed and stir through some fresh coriander leaves (snipped smaller in a cup with a pair of scissors).

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GARLIC BREAD WITH HERBED BASIL BUTTER
1 long French loaf
125 g butter at room temperature
2 t (10 ml) Ina Paarman's Garlic & Herb Seasoning
3 T (45 ml) Ina Paarman's Basil Pesto

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Slice a French loaf at 1½ cm intervals, almost all the way through. Mash the soft butter, seasoning and Basil Pesto together. Spread each slice with this flavourful mixture. Wrap the bread snugly in foil and heat through for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with fresh basil leaves.

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Prepare this divine ice cream the day before and serve it on the day with the melba sauce and fresh berries.

YOGHURT ICE CREAM
1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream
1 x 385 g tin sweetened, full cream condensed milk
2 cups (500 ml) Greek yoghurt

Whip cream lightly. Add condensed milk in a thin stream while you continue to beat. When all the condensed milk has been added, fold yoghurt through with a spatula or metal spoon. Freeze ice cream overnight in an airtight container.

MELBA SAUCE
250 g ripe strawberries
1 cup (250 ml) castor sugar
3 T (45 ml) fresh lemon juice
½ t (2,5 ml) freshly ground black pepper
a few drops of natural red (cochineal) colour if needed

Rinse fruit in a colander and remove stalks. Purée in a processor or blender, until absolutely smooth. Add sugar, a third at a time, processing between additions. Add lemon juice, black pepper and colouring, if using. Leave to stand for at least 1 hour to dissolve sugar. Keeps very well for three days in the fridge or three months in the freezer.

TO SERVE:
250 g punnet small perfect strawberries

Rinse the strawberries, keep them whole and leave the green leaves on. Remove the ice cream an hour before serving from the freezer to the fridge to soften a little. Dish ice cream balls for each guest, coat with melba sauce and top with whole strawberries.