Raclette

One of our cold weather dinners consists of raclette. Consider this fondue without the pot and long forks. Raclette is a gruyere-type cheese that is softer and melts better. It’s a common cheese in the French and Swiss Alps. It can be found in well-stocked cheese departments. We prefer the Swiss to the French version. Usually raclette is made from cows’ milk, but I tried some goats’ milk raclette tonight. There was a subtle goaty taste, but not overwhelming.

The traditional way to melt raclette is to expose a wheel of cheese to an open fire and scrape off the melted portion onto your plate. We prefer a less messy approach, which was endorsed by one of Julian’s Swiss colleagues: Put a hunk of cheese and a few parboiled potatoes (we used Yukon Golds) in an ovenproof plate and bake at 450° until the cheese is melted. You can also broil the cheese. Julian will sprinkle a little sweet paprika and black pepper on the cheese before it goes into the oven. When the cheese is melted, serve with crusty bread, pickled onions and cornichons. You can drink a beer, cider, or dry white wine alongside. Our vin du soir was a Beringer chenin blanc, but a dry riesling or gewürztraminer would work as well. While your friendly neighborhood cardiologist might not approve of this as a regular meal, an occasional bit of cheesy goodness can fit into your regime.

Raclette with accoutrements: Boiled potatoes, cornichons, pickled onions, and French bread.