We'll let Wiki give us the background:
"Raclette is both a type of cheese and and a Swiss and French dish based on this cheese. It is a semi-firm cow's milk cheese most commonly used for melting and is usually fashioned into a round of about 6 kg (13 lbs).
The dish is indigenous to parts of Switzerland and the Savoie region of France (where we happened to try it). The Raclette cheese round is heated, either in front of a fire or by a special machine, then scraped onto diners' plates; the term raclette derives from the French word racler, meaning "to scrape". Traditionally, it is accompanied by small firm potatoes, gherkins, and dried meat."
We ordered it. The waiter brought a special heating machine to the table, slugged a solid half round of raclette onto the slot and turned on the heater. The cheese begins bubbling and oozing, and you scrape it off onto fresh boiled new potatoes. And then think you have died and gone to heaven. And maybe, since your arteries are trying to flee in terror as you consume this, you might be.
Oh my, it was good. Jeff and I consumed, with a little help from Hope, a good two-thirds of the half round. Which, according to my calculations, is somewhere north of three pounds of cheese. Oh, my.
Yum!!! I could have easily finished off the remaining third.
Posted by: Debbie Hanson | July 07, 2011 at 09:22 AM
If you would like to experience this any day you want at home, please look at my website at www.RacletteCorner.com
I offer the traditional raclette melters as described above as well as raclette grills that has little dishes to melt cheese slices and a grill top for some side items (meat or vegetable). I also offer some recipes, accessories and cheese.
Thank you for this mouth watering article.
Posted by: Sonja Hoffmann | July 12, 2011 at 02:29 PM
That is a grand website! I'll post a link on an upcoming blog. Personally, I *love* the idea of having a raclette kit; it would make a terrific party, book club, holiday treat centerpiece. Of course, Jeff used to make fondue all the time, so I think we would actually use it.
Posted by: Ellen | July 13, 2011 at 02:29 AM
OMG. Raclette. I remember Raclette from my Au Pair days in Genever. Best apres-ski food ever.
Posted by: TJL | July 22, 2011 at 06:43 PM