Original Raclette Recipe

Andrew James Stone Raclette Grill

Ingredients:

For 4 Persons.

• 8 small/medium potatoes
• 700g Raclette Cheese
• 1 jar pickled gherkin cucumbers (cornichons)
• 4 small onions (or shallots)
• 24 slices salami or ham
• freshly ground pepper

Other optional ingredients:

Leg ham, prosciutto (thin Italian ham), pepperoni(spiced salami), tomatoes, pineapple, capsicum, prawns, fresh or dried herbs, avocado, onions, marinated chicken/beef, mushrooms, celery, asparagus, olives, crusty bread, or salads.

Raclette Grill

Direction:

1. Brush potatoes under running water and place in microwave-proof bowl half filled with luke warm water and cook on high for 6 mins in their skins. Alternatively you can boil the potatoes on the stove top in a pot filled with water for approximately 18mins on high.
2. Remove the rind (outer surface) from the cheese. You will need a sharp knife to remove the rind. Once the rind is removed slice 2mm thick slices (thinner if preferred) from the block using a knife or wire cheese slicer. Place on a serving dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until required.
3. Arrange gherkins, onions and salami/ham on a platter and set aside until required.
4. When ready to serve, set table and place raclette grill in the centre of your table and placed cooked potatoes on top of raclette grill in metal bowl or saucepan with lid to keep warm and place gherkins, onions and cheese on table.
5. Turn raclette grill on to begin to heat up (takes only a minute or two). Each guest takes a slice of cheese, places it in their pan and slides it under the raclette grill to melt. It takes approximately 2 mins to melt to a creamy consistency and 3 mins for a more crispier top. In the meantime take a potato, place onto your plate and cut it into a few pieces and take out the pan from under the grill once it's reached it's preferred consistency and hold the pan onto its side to scrape the cheese out using your wooden spatula. Non- stick pans will allow the cheese to just slide off.

Season to taste with freshly ground pepper.

Swiss Raclette cheese

Apart from the magnificent Swiss Alps themselves, Switzerland's greatest natural resource is the cow. Farmers living in in the Alpine regions take full advantage of the moist alpine pastures with its pure and clean air and move their livestock up the mountains to graze during the summer season. Their prime breed of cattle enjoy grazing on the succulent grasses and in turn provide the country with the rich milk supply that produces high quality cheese. The variety of naturally growing grasses in the upper altitudes contain a higher protein and fat content and are highly nutritious. It is also no wonder why that smooth creamy Swiss chocolate has become so famous. 

Raclette cheese is made on both the Swiss and French sides of the Alps but the cheese bearing the name Valais Raclette is the most famous .The Valais Raclette (namely cheese made in the Valleys of Bagnes, Goms, Les Haudères and Orsières) is made according to ancestral methods. There is no denying that the unique climate and alpine meadows in the area have an effect on the quality of the milk produced there. A semi-hard cheese made from unpasturised cow's milk Valais Ralette cheese has a distinctive aromatic flavour, brushed brown/orange coloured rind, light-yellow coloured body, fragrant creamy texture, with scattered holes and has an ideal fat and moisture ratio that prevents the cheese from separating when melted.

Info: http://www.raclette.com.au/raclette_cheese/