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Warm and wonderful
Raclette is the perfect cold-weather dish to share with guests
Originating in the European Alps, raclette is both a mild, semi-soft Swiss cheese and the name of a popular dish. The word “raclette” stems from the French verb racler—meaning “to scrape,” which refers to how the melted cheese is scraped from its wheel.
“French people would say it’s French and Swiss people would probably say otherwise—it started somewhere in those mountainous regions,” explains Costco member Martin Adam, owner of Restaurant La Raclette, which opened in Montreal 35 years ago.
Cheese, already a staple in the region, would be paired with dried meats, potatoes, bread, pickled onions and cornichons.
“The wheel of cheese would often freeze in those harsh conditions, and putting it by the fireplace to thaw turned it into the best melted cheese dish,” says Adam.
Raclette cheese is usually made of cow’s milk and tastes like hazelnuts with notes of milk and butter, notes Adam. Aged for at least eight weeks, it has a creamy texture and melts easily. Other semi-soft cheeses that can be used for raclette include Gouda and goat cheese. “Some will split if overheated, so pay attention to the fat separating from the cheese while cooking and reduce the melting time,” Adam adds.
The basics
While you can melt the cheese using any technique, tabletop raclette grills make this delicious meal simple to prepare and enjoy. Sliced cheese is melted on the bottom shelf of the grill under the heating element in small pans called coupelles, while the top plate grills fresh meat and vegetables. Models with an integrated fondue pot can be used to heat broth to cook chunks of fish or meat.
Look for a versatile grill with dual temperature controls so you can make fondue, raclette or both at once, suggests Costco member Julie Letarte, president of Importations C.J.S. Inc. in Bois-des-Filion, Quebec, which imports raclette products. “You can also remove the fondue pot and insert a round stone, which is great for healthy grilling,” she adds.
Turn on your stove’s fan while using the raclette machine, suggests Letarte, and keep unsupervised children away from the grill. After the meal, just unplug the unit, wait for it to cool and then wash everything by hand with mild dish soap.
Your choice of menus
Adam suggests serving a variety of cured meats on the side, including thinly sliced ham. Serve good-quality mustard and sauces such as pesto or aioli, along with a baguette, crusty bread or garlic croutons. Or choose a theme for your meal.
“Do ‘The Hunter’s Dream’: Serve game meats for grilling, along with mushrooms and truffle cheese, with a rosemary-flavoured broth in the fondue pot,” says Adam. “Or try a ‘Coastal Harvest’ with a bouillabaisse-style broth to cook shellfish, [and] mild cheese and seafood for grilling. The ‘Mountain Chalet’ features classic cheese fondue in the pot with raclette cheese to melt under the grill along with sliced beef, lamb and poultry for grilling.”
Letarte says raclette grills can also be used to prepare breakfast or brunch. “It’s easy to make bacon or crepes with mascarpone cheese, or an omelette—it’s fun to get creative,” she says. “Raclette really bringsnpeople together, and even people who aren’t experienced cooks can successfully make raclette, plus it’s great for potlucks.”
Cheese please
Follow these tips for a raclette feast at home:
- Plan on 200 grams (7 ounces) of raclette cheese per person.
- Slice cheese to size so it fits in the small metal trays.
- Have a platter of thinly sliced meat to grill.
- Dry white wine is a nice accompaniment.
- Chop vegetables into chunks to grill, and boil potatoes in advance.
- Store raclette cheese for six weeks in the fridge or up to three months in the freezer.—WH
Costco member Wendy Helfenbaum is a Montreal-based writer and TV producer.
Costco Connection: A variety of cheeses can be found in Costco warehouses. The 3-in-1 Fondue, Grill & Raclette (Item 1654224), which includes 12 metal pans, eight fondue forks and 12 wood spatulas, is available in select warehouses and at Costco.ca.
