Raclette

About This Recipe

Raclette—both the name of the cheese and the dish—comes from the French verb racler, meaning 'to scrape'. Traditionally, a half-wheel of raclette cheese was held near a fire until the surface melted, then scraped directly onto plates of boiled potatoes by alpine herdsmen of the Valais canton. Today, raclette is served with electric tabletop melting machines that allow each diner to melt their own cheese in small individual pans called coupelles. The ritual of gathering around a raclette grill for hours, eating in waves, is central to Swiss social life, particularly in winter and at Christmas markets across the country.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 800 graclette cheese, sliced (about 3–4 mm thick)
• 800 gsmall waxy potatoes (Charlotte or Jersey Royals)
• 200 gcornichons (small pickled gherkins)
• 100 gpickled silverskin onions
• 150 gair-dried beef (Bündnerfleisch) or prosciutto
• 150 gdry-cured salami or cervelat
• 1 tspfreshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinchsweet paprika
• 1 small bunchfresh chives, for garnish

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil the potatoes

   Scrub the potatoes well but leave the skins on. Place in a pot of cold salted water, bring to a boil, and cook for 18–20 minutes until completely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and keep warm in a serving bowl.

2. 2

   Prepare the accompaniments

   Arrange the cornichons, pickled onions, and charcuterie (Bündnerfleisch, salami) attractively on a large serving board or platter. Place in the center of the table alongside the potatoes.

3. 3

   Set up the raclette grill

   Preheat the tabletop electric raclette machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. Lay a slice of raclette cheese in each individual coupelle (tray). If using a traditional grill-top raclette machine, you can also grill vegetables on the top plate.

4. 4

   Melt and scrape

   Slide the filled coupelles under the heating element. In 2–3 minutes the cheese will bubble and develop a golden crust. Using the small wooden spatula provided, scrape the melted cheese over a potato on your plate.

5. 5

   Season and eat

   Season with black pepper and a pinch of paprika. Eat with cornichons, pickled onions, and slices of charcuterie. Repeat as many rounds as desired—raclette is meant to be a leisurely, convivial meal lasting 1–2 hours.

Variations

• •

  Top the cheese in the coupelle with a few slices of truffle or mushroom before melting.

• •

  Add a thin slice of prosciutto directly on top of the cheese for a richer melt.

• •

  Serve with roasted vegetables (peppers, zucchini) grilled on the raclette's top plate.

Storage

Raclette is a communal dish meant to be eaten fresh. Leftover sliced cheese can be refrigerated for up to 5 days, wrapped tightly in parchment. Cooked potatoes can be refrigerated for 2 days and reheated.

Frequently Asked Questions