Raclette Cheese: What Is It, Where To Try It And What To Drink

2023 Author: Amber Richards | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 00:24

What is raclette?

Raclette is a melted, viscous cheese with a variety of meat and vegetable additives.

The French and Swiss love to argue over which of them was the first to come up with raclette. The French usually appeal to the name: racler in French means "scrape" or "scrape". Indeed, the trick is to put the raclette close to the fire and scrape off the slowly melting cheese. The Swiss consider raclette their national dish, because the first mention of it was found in the monastic manuscripts of the cantons of Obwalden and Nidwalden. You can argue endlessly, but one thing is obvious: the raclette was invented somewhere in the Alps, and we should thank the shepherds for this tasty invention, who melted cheese over a fire to spread it on bread or season it with corned beef.

However, not any cheese melted on a fire is raclette. A real raclette should have a dense, but rather elastic flesh: when heated, it does not foam and does not flow. The cheese can be easily distinguished by its characteristic smell: when the raclette hits the fire, it develops the aroma of raw mushrooms.

How to make raclette at home?

If you don't have a ticket to Switzerland yet, but you really want to try raclette, then you can do it at home. Fortunately, Swiss cheeses are not sanctioned, so you have every chance of finding raclette in the store. In order to properly melt the cheese, you need a special tool: a raclette. It is a small tabletop bunk panel that can be either electric or coal. The set includes small wedge-shaped pans that are color-coded so that everyone at the table monitors the degree of readiness of their portion. Pans are usually located on the lower tier. On the top, you can fry toppings: vegetables, pieces of meat, olives or even seafood. When the ingredients for the filling are ready, they are mixed with the potatoes and poured over with the same cheese that melted on the lower tier.

The purpose of such an event is not just a tasty and hearty meal in the Swiss style, but also to gather family or friends at a common table and sincere conversations.

There is also another type of raclette, which can be seen in restaurants in Switzerland and even in private homes. It is a holder for half a head of cheese, above which an open grill-type heating element is placed. Under the influence of heat, the top layer of cheese begins to melt and brown, it is cut with a special knife on a plate and the next portion is melted. It turns out not so beautiful, but, perhaps, this is the most correct way to prepare it. Usually pickled vegetables and boiled potatoes, as well as cold cuts are served with raclette melted in this way.

You can, of course, bake raclette in an oven with a grill function. It should be delicious, just a lot less festive. However, you don't have to cook raclette at all: just cut it up and taste it cold.

You don't want a cold one, but you feel sorry for the money for equipment? Then we have another brilliant idea: the raclette rack is available for rent with all the ingredients! The equipment, as well as the raclette cheese itself, will be delivered to your home, office or country house, and they will also select the right wine! In general, you will definitely succeed in surprising your friends.