Street Classic · Scraped Melted Cheese

Raclette

Name: Raclette recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 800 g (about 1¾ lb) raclette cheese, sliced about 5 mm thick, which is 200 g (7 oz) per person; 1 kg (2¼ lb) small waxy potatoes, such as Charlotte or new potatoes; 1 tablespoon salt for the potato water; 150 g (about 1 cup) cornichons (small pickled gherkins); 100 g (about ¾ cup) pickled silverskin onions; 150 g air-dried beef, ham or other cured meat (optional); Freshly ground black pepper and sweet paprika, to serve

Photo: Ka23 13 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The dish takes its name from the French verb 'racler' — 'to scrape' — because the cheese is literally scraped off a half-wheel as it melts under a heater.

At Swiss markets, festivals, and mountain chalets, a large wheel of raclette cheese is set cut-side toward a heat source, and as the surface turns molten, a vendor scrapes it directly onto a plate of boiled potatoes, bread, and pickles.

Why it's made this way: The technique began as a practical way for Alpine herders to eat cheese warmed by a fire, and it survives as street food because scraping to order lets a single vendor serve one gooey portion at a time with no kitchen needed.

What is Raclette?

Raclette is both a cheese and a dish. A half-wheel of cheese is held close to a heat source, and as the surface melts it is scraped over boiled potatoes, together with pickles and often cured meats. Markets, festivals and mountain chalets in Switzerland serve it this way, and the name comes from the French racler, 'to scrape'.

It is closely associated with the canton of Valais, and the traditional story is that Alpine herders warmed cheese at a fire and scraped it onto potatoes. It is also a social meal, and at home a table-top raclette grill lets everyone melt their own slices.

How to make raclette at home with potatoes and pickles

Serves 4 · prep 15 min · cook 30 min

Ingredients

800 g (about 1¾ lb) raclette cheese, sliced about 5 mm thick, which is 200 g (7 oz) per person
1 kg (2¼ lb) small waxy potatoes, such as Charlotte or new potatoes
1 tablespoon salt for the potato water
150 g (about 1 cup) cornichons (small pickled gherkins)
100 g (about ¾ cup) pickled silverskin onions
150 g air-dried beef, ham or other cured meat (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper and sweet paprika, to serve

Method

Take the cheese out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving so it melts evenly.
Wash the potatoes and put them in a large pan with 2 litres of cold water and the salt. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, depending on their size, until a knife slides into the centre easily. Drain, cover with a cloth and keep warm.
Put the cornichons, onions and cured meat in bowls and set the table with the pepper and paprika.
With a raclette grill: heat it, put a slice of cheese in each small pan and slide the pan under the heating element for 3–5 minutes, until bubbling and lightly browned at the edges. Scrape it over the potatoes with the little spatula.
Without a raclette grill: heat the oven to 220 °C (200 °C fan, gas 7). Put a few potatoes in a small ovenproof dish, top each with 3–4 slices of cheese, and bake for 5–8 minutes until melted and bubbling. Alternatively, melt the cheese on the potatoes under a hot grill. Repeat in rounds, and serve each one straight away.
Eat the cheese with the potatoes, pickles and a grind of pepper or pinch of paprika, and repeat.

Tips

Plan on 200 g of cheese per person for a main course. Allow 150 g if there are lots of other side dishes.
Choose potatoes that hold their shape. Floury potatoes fall apart.
The pickles are not just a garnish. Their sharpness cuts through the rich cheese.
Raclette grill pans and heating elements get very hot, so keep children away, and use the grill in a ventilated room.

Regional versions

In the traditional version, a half-wheel is melted at the cut face and scraped off by a cook, which needs a special heater (a raclette oven).
Bread can be served alongside, and some people add mushrooms, peppers or other vegetables to melt under the cheese. Cook those first or put them on the top plate of the grill.
Raclette cheese is also sold flavoured, for example with pepper, chilli or herbs.

Questions

What is raclette?

A Swiss and Alpine cheese dish where raclette cheese is melted and scraped over potatoes, with pickles.

What cheese is used for raclette?

Raclette cheese, a semi-hard cow's milk cheese made for melting. Some other good melting cheeses can substitute if you cannot find it, but the taste will differ.

What is the difference between raclette and fondue?

In raclette the cheese is melted in slices and scraped over food. In fondue the cheese is melted with wine in a pot and food is dipped into it.

Is raclette safe in pregnancy?

Check the label. If you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system, choose raclette made from pasteurised milk and make sure it is melted until piping hot, or ask your doctor.