It’s not a lot to look at, but it’s just wrong how good this tastes. Raclette is a close cousin of Swiss fondue, but it’s even simpler, consisting of just two ingredients: cheese and boiled potatoes. But what a cheese: called Raclette (from the French racler, to scrape), it’s a mellow, meltable Alpine cow’s milk cheese with just the very slightest funkiness and, I think, a trace of floral flavors. Melted over boiled yellow potatoes, it’s heavenly.
Traditionally, Raclette is made by placing a chunk of the cheese in front of a fire and scraping the cheese off as it melts (and hence the name). More commonly, the dish is made with a special-purpose broiler-like appliance that melts the cheese at the table, but you don’t need this to indulge in Raclette. The broiler in your oven works just fine. There’s no scraping: just lay slabs of the cheese over the potatoes in an oven-proof dish, pop it under the broiler until the cheese melts and serve it to your grateful guests, who will consume it in an ecstatic silence. Cornichons and pickled onions are the traditional garnishes (and contrast nicely with the creamy cheese). Some also serve bits of thinly-sliced ham or air-dried beef, but I think this is gilding the lilly.
People often make a meal of Raclette, but I think this can too much of a good thing. I like to served it in individual dishes (little pie or tart pans or creme brûlée dishes work well) as a first course for a special winter dinner, or alongside a big green salad for lunch.
Raclette is available at good cheese shops or online.
Recipe
Ingredients
Small yellow potatoes (such as Yukon gold)
Raclette cheese
Cornichons
Pickled white onions
Caper berries (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Boil the unpeeled potatoes in salted water until they’re tender. Cut them into bit-sized pieces.
3. Slice the cheese into about 1/2″ slabs. Remove the rind.
4. Place the potatoes in ovenproof dishes and cover with a single layer of the cheese. Place under the broiler until the cheese is melted (but not bubbling.)
Garnish with a few cornichons, pickled onions and caper berries (optional) and serve immediately with a glass of white wine.
