Everything you need to know about Raclette

A traditional French dish for winter, autumn and all year round for the true lovers, learn everything you need to know about Raclette.

RACLETTE

Raclette is an emblematic dish of the mountainous regions of Switzerland and France, whose origins go back several centuries. This culinary tradition is said to have originated in the Swiss Alps, where shepherds, during their long periods spent at altitude, invented this convivial dish to warm up and satiate themselves. 

The word “raclette” is not actually the name of a cheese. In fact, it comes from the French verb “racler”, referring to the action of scraping melted cheese off accompaniments. Raclette” therefore refers more to the spatula used to scrape the cheese. 

Over time, raclette has become a celebration of conviviality and mountain gastronomy, bringing family and friends together around a table laden with delicacies.

Made from cow’s milk, Raclette is a semi-firm, salted cheese with an aromatic flavour and a fragrant creamy texture.

Serve with steamed or boiled potatoes. Garnish with crunchy gherkins, sliced red or white onions, and quality charcuterie such as cured ham, sausage or sliced Coppa. Heat the cheese in a raclette machine or under the grill until it melts and lightly grates, then serve it hot with the prepared accompaniments.

Raclette's flavour is created by using high-quality milk, preferably from grass-fed cows, and special bacterial strains that create lactic acid and secondary metabolic flavour products. It does not undergo a propionic acid fermentation (which Emmenthal does) and therefore has no or few small holes. The cheese is formed into wheels, and the pressed wheels are soaked in a salt brine and smeared with a mixture of yeast and coryneform bacteria (gram-positive rods). The wheels are then placed in a cellar on red pine benches for ripening where they age for three to six months. The wooden shelves help to create the moist rind, and during this process, the cheese is washed and turned at regular intervals.

Uses

Raclette has very good melting properties since the fat content does not separate and pool as grease. This makes it an ideal cheese for raclette dinners and cheese fondue made on a raclette grill, or any dish that requires melted cheese, such as gratins and casseroles, grilled cheese sandwiches, and pasta and egg dishes.

Try it in grilled cheese sandwich, on pizza with thinly sliced boiled potatoes and burgers.

Can You Eat the Rind?

Raclette has an edible washed rind, which helps flavour-boosting bacteria grow, which in turn adds flavour to the cheese.