RACLETTE

Light a good fire. Buy yourself a half wheel of real Raclette cheese, preferably from the Valais (Gosmer, Bagnes, etc.), between three and five months old.  Scrape off the rind, top and bottom, so that the cheese can melt more easily.   Prepare boiled potatoes in their skins and have a ready supply of gherkins or cornichons, pickled onions and black pepper.  When the fire died to a mass of glowing embers, procure yourself a large flat stone and put it before the fire.  Set the half cheese on top, its cut surface exposed to the heat. Nearby have a supply of plates.   As the cheese melts, scrape it off on to a plate and serve it at once.   Continue this way until everyone is full.

The cowboys in the Wallis region are thought to be the first to prepare raclette.   Sitting before a hot fire, they held the cheese over the flame with a long iron fork.  The cheese browned and became as soft as butter inside.  This cheese was served on bread slices.  Later raclette appeared in restaurants, where it was further developed.  The wheel of cheese was cut in half and the cut edge was placed close to a hot fire.  As the cheese melts the soft part is scraped off and placed on a plate and immediately served. (the name raclette comes from racler which means to scrape.) It was served with boiled unpeeled potatoes, pickles and small onions.

Today, electric raclette machines are available, where raclette is prepared on the table. That way each guest can choose what he or she would like to add.  That cuts the waiting time down, which is a disadvantage with the traditional method.

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Raclette 1 (with a traditional Raclette apparatus)
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Per person:
150 grams raclette
3 to 4 potatoes
2 tomatoes
garlic
olive oil
parsley
basil
salt
pepper

Boil the potatoes in the skins.

Prepare the tomatoes by cutting them in half and sprinkling with chopped herbs and garlic. Cook lightly in an oiled pan. salt, pepper and keep warm.  Put the cheese in the raclette device and serve with the potatoes and tomatoes.

Each guest peels his/her own potatoes and scrapes the cheese in turn.

Have a pepper mill handy.

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Raclette 2 (with a modern Raclette machine)
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Per person:
150 grams raclette cheese
2 to 3 potatoes

side dishes
2 slices smoked ham
2 slices bacon
2 slices rolled ham
black olives
pickles
tomatoes
pearl onions
pickled vegetables
pears
mushrooms
1 lemon

Boil the potatoes in the skins and keep warm.

Remove crust and thinly slice the cheese.   Wash and slice tomatoes.  Peel and slice onions.  Arrange the meats on a plate.  Place other side dishes in small bowls.

Each guest has a small pan to melt the cheese with side dishes.

Have a pepper mill and paprika handy.

Each guest may add onion rings, tomato slices, pear quarters, pickle halves, very thin bacon slices, smoked or ham to his cheese.

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