Irish Vintage Cheddar and Beer Fondue

St. Patrick’s Day in Boston is a huge celebration. On Sunday was the big Southie parade which is one big party for the college crowd and anyone else who can keep up drinking green keg beer for 8 hours. Today, bars open as early as 6am and starting serving alcohol at 8am. As you can well imagine things get a bit roudy come happy hour. It’s hard to live in the area and not get in the Irish sprit for a least a few days this week. I had bookmarked this recipe as a perfect fit for St. Patty’s Day. It’s fun and simple. And it involves beer, of course! The original Bon Appétit recipe calls for Guinness, but I used Sam Adams Light and it was so delicious I wouldn’t change a thing next time around. So use your favorite brew, because you only use one beer in the fondue and you’ll have 5 more to drink!

Irish Vintage Cheddar and Beer Fondue
adapted from Bon Appétit . serves 4

1 large bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
4 small red-skinned potatoes, quartered
2 apples, cored, cut into wedges
1 loaf ciabatta bread, cubed
1 lb Vintage Irish cheddar cheese, grated
2 1/2 T all purpose flour
1 c Sam Adams Light, or your favorite brew
6 T frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1 T Dijon mustard
black pepper, to taste

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Steam potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes, adding in asparagus last last two minutes of cooking time. Arrange vegetables, apples and bread on a large serving platter.

Toss cheese with flour in large bowl. Bring beer, juice concentrate, and mustard to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add cheese mixture, whisking constantly, until cheese is melted and smooth. Season to taste with pepper. Transfer fondue to bowl or a fondue pot, if available. Serve with the platter of vegis, fruit and bread. Use forks or fondue sticks to dip.