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Say cheese: melting hot Swiss raclette

Wednesday, February 26th, 2014 by Abigail Donnelly

A friend has just returned from a trip to the snowy peaks of Switzerland with a raclette maker. She handed it to me with some traditional cheese that she invited me to sample; I think she had had quite her fill already eating it everyday at the ski chalets for lunch.

I’ve only had raclette once before and that was at La Motte in Franschhoek, where a very large contraption held a semi circle of raclette cheese that melted away. As soon as the top layer was oozing, the hot molten cheese was scraped off onto a pile of baby potatoes. If you don’t eat it quick enough it solidifies.

Pierneef a La Motte

Traditionally, a wheel of cheese is put next a fire and as it melts you snack on it, much like a big cheese fondue. Raclette cheese is nutty, made from grass-fed cow’s milk, and the rind doesn’t need to be trimmed off as it does melt. I have seen it now and again in the stores, but I’m sure a gruyère would work too.

The best thing to eat with this rich treat is something vinegary to cut the fattiness of the cheese, like gherkins and pickled onions. Bread is good too, of course, as well as slices of cured meats.

What we enjoyed about the mini raclette grill lent to me is that it’s small and holds candles underneath, which melt the cheese. You can pick off little bits by yourself as the cheese warms up – the waft of it grilling does get your appetite rather keen – and you don’t have to hang around for a mass of congealed cheese.

Photo by Amanda Slater

Photo by Amanda Slater

A glass of Gewürztraminer went rather nicely with the new experience, but it’s a one-off kind of meal that you wouldn’t have too often… unless you’re sitting in a log cabin with snow capped mountains around you.

Abigail

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3 Comments

  • Carol
    March 13, 2014

    I happen to love raclette and ask all and sundry to bring cheese when I can! I bought a mashine for eight people on City Slickers(a South African one) but you can’t get the cheese here except for the Austrian one which is not popular! It is a wintery food although we had it for New Year this past one! You each have your own grill and you sit around grilling your own which makes it very social. We have done it with more than eight people, just have to share which makes it interactive. We cook bacon and other meats on the top grill(mine is electric) and have even had a pizza evening where you cook your own mini dough and then add toppings. Great for a casual dinner party! The main ingredients are potatoes and cheese but besides onions and gherkins you can have mushrooms and peppers to grill in the cheese. We normally check which days are cooler on which to have it.

    Reply
  • Massimo
    June 4, 2014

    good new, Raclette is now on the menu at Massimo’s in Hout Bay

    see http://www.pizzaclub.co.za/raclette

    Reply
  • Raymond
    March 21, 2019

    Raclette is now made in the Western Cape!

    http://kleinrivercheese.co.za/cheese/raclette/

    Reply

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