The Ultimate Guide to the French Raclette

 Our first experience of this fabulous, shared meal experience was when our friends invited us for ‘Raclette.’ We had no clue what it was! Our children had some strange ideas about little pans and cheese as they had just been on their first-ever skiing trip with their French primary school, but we remained in the dark.

The word “raclette” comes from the French word “racler,” meaning “to scrape”. Essentially, Raclette has its origins in mountain regions, and the hearty dish was designed to keep you nourished and stocked up on calories needed to expend on the slopes or in the cold weather. Raclette originated in the Swiss Alps, where herders would melt cheese over an open fire and scrape (racler) it onto their bread or potatoes. This tradition has presumably evolved over time into a popular dish in Switzerland, spreading to France and now enjoyed all over the world. Rick Stein has featured it on his French travels, too, with some epic theatrical restaurant experiences for true raclette cheese lovers.

You will need a raclette machine which can be purchased online or in a French supermarket from as little as thirty euros. We bought a cheap version to try – as we weren’t sure whether it would be a success in our family. However, we soon invested in a fancier version as it is used every year and has become a family favourite and a crowd-pleaser when we have guests over winter. There’s a hot plate, and individual little frying pans sit beneath a grill.

Ingredients:

• Sliced raclette cheese – go for quality; you can taste the difference
• Boiled potatoes
• Eggs
• Charcuterie – whatever you fancy.
• Crispy green salad
• Plenty of pain – sliced or to tear

We always need an extension lead, too!

Preheat the raclette machine (here’s why you may need an extension lead, as raclette machines do not have very long wires in our experience!) and open a couple of windows just a little, as it can get smelly after a while.

Pop a piece of raclette cheese into your own little pan, throw a slice of charcuterie on the hot plate and have everything on the table for family and guests to help themselves. Wait until the cheese has melted and your meat is cooked, then pour over your potatoes, charcuterie, etc. Serve with a crunchy salad and a crisp white or a nice red – either works. Our children love to pop an egg in the pan on top of some cheese, too!

Bon appetit!