Harts Kitchen
Learn by Harts: Raclette
Je ne Raclette Rien
This Euro party food would be a cinch to serve at your next
gathering even with Christmas jumpers on and
too much white wine swigged
R
aclette comes from the French word “to scrape.” Not usually a
verb you go to when thinking of great party food. But Raclette
is also a firm, pungent cheese from Switzerland. So put the
two meanings together, in front of a roaring fire (or other heat
sources) and the result is melted cheese that you scrape off onto
potatoes, charcuterie or pickles in this delicious, age-old social
eating event from the Alpine regions of Europe.
Originally a meal that shepherds would cook on a hot stone in their log
cabins, and previously only encountered on ski trips, raclette is now a hot
food trend in the UK. It’s not exactly a leap of faith for we Brits to embrace
anything that involves melted cheese and potatoes. Like a more rustic
version of fondue, raclette is perfect for parties and social gatherings in
the run-up to Christmas and at New Year. Here’s how you can get involved.
Rac ‘Em Up
You don’t need a hot stone or even a fire; we now have purpose built
raclette pans and tools that make it a breeze to serve this cheesy
nirvana at your next party.
Original Raclette
Recipe
Ingredients
1/4 of a Raclette cheese
2 kg of small potatoes
Sliced Bread
Onions, pickles, vinegar,
mushrooms
Method
Scrape the crust of the cheese to
remove the thin surface layer (do
not remove the crust!). Place the
Raclette in the Raclette Quattro.
Wait until the cheese softens.
Then, with a knife, place it on
a plate with a potato, slice of
bread or pickles and mushrooms.
Remember to religiously trim the
edges of the softened cheese!
24
www.hartsofstur.com
For big cheeses!
Serves six people
Boska Raclette
Quattro Concrete
The Boska Raclette Quattro has
been designed to melt cheese perfect-
ly for all types of dishes. The quarter
cheese sits in the holder which gets
positioned in front of the heated
lamp. The surface of the cheese will
start to melt. The cheese holding
bracket can swivel out for serving
onto your favourite dish. The solid
concrete base prevents this raclette
from slipping while in use and it’s
easy to wipe clean.
Harts Price: £149.95