What is raclette? I had no idea, but I married a German and was introduced to it thirty years ago. Raclette is a cooking method and a cheese at the same time. Raclette cheese is a Swiss variety of cheese that melts quickly and becomes ooey and gooey.
Raclette originated in Wallis, Switzerland, more than 400 years ago. The first written records date to the early 1800s as a “sumptuous feast” with roasted cheese. Shepherds came down from the alps and sat around a fire and kept watch over a quarter cheese round they placed over the fire. As soon as the cheese beganto melt, a knife scraped a slice of the hot cheese from the round and spreads it onto a piece of bread. Yummo right? Good idea, guys!
The name raclette comes from the french word “racler “meaning to scrape, which is the method of preparation or preparing the cheese. Restaurants do not have an open fires to melt the cheese as the shepherds did but have a raclette melter that holds a block or half wheel of cheese under a heating element. Once the cheese is melted, it is scraped onto prepared potatoes, vegetables, or bread.
Raclette is famous in Europe, especially in the Swiss Alps and other ski regions, as an after-ski warm-up treat after a long day on the slopes. Raclette is also well known in Germany and France; however, raclette places are popping up all over the US and Canada.
Many European households own a raclette grill which allows melting individual portions of cheese and a grill on top to serve grilled vegetables and meats with the cheese. Raclette is a popular Christmas Eve dinner in Germany and Europe. This is the first year we will have raclette on Christmas Eve.
A raclette dinner is a social style of slow eating. There are various cheeses, raw meats, cooked sausages, and charcuterie on the table. Small boiled potatoes, raw and pickled vegetables, and crusty bread slices are also traditional raclette items. Guests can choose what and how to grill and melt cheese on. Sauces and condiments are also available on the table to individualize each guest’s dishes further.
I decided on raclette this year for Christmas Eve to extend our dinner time. Sam has to work in the ER at the hospital in Bennington on Christmas Day, so this is the only holiday meal we will be having together as a family. Typically, a holiday dinner can last a mere 20 minutes, and boom, everyone is done and up from the table.
Raclette will slow us all down while cooking our food on the raclette grill. Everyone watches what combos each other makes and either copies it or tries to one-up each other.
I am preparing thinly sliced marinated flank steak, shrimp, and pork belly for my raclette proteins. I bought actual raclette cheese that I found at Aldis. I will serve asparagus, snow peas, mushrooms, sliced onions, and red peppers for veggies. For the pickled part of the selection, I will be making pickled red onions and carrots.
Pickled vegetables are included in raclette for a reason; to cut through the richness of the meats and cheeses. I also have some hard smoked sausage and prosciutto. I always include sliced apples and different james like quence or fig for people to choose from; sweetness breaks up the savory foods as a nice change for the palate.
A raclette dinner party is fantastic because everything is done ahead in the prep work. This frees up the host or hostess to spend time with their guests socializing, not cooking alone in the kitchen or panicked if everything will be done simultaneously. A crisp white wine, beer, and lots of water are beverages of choice for a raclette dinner party.
I got out our raclette grill this afternoon and have it ready for tomorrow night. I still have to pick out what type of tableware I want to use for all the food. Setting the table, choosing plates, bowls, napkins, and tablecloths are just as fun for me as cooking.
I still have a couple of gifts to wrap and am in the process of making a cake to bring to a holiday get-together at our next-door neighbor’s house tonight. I am crossing my fingers it comes out how I want.
Good luck getting everything done; it’s hard to believe Christmas is right around the corner, and remember, everything doesn’t have to be perfect. A tough lesson for me to remember myself especially when it comes to this holiday cake I am making.