Raclette, A Cheesy Cure for Winter Doldrums
Plus an Austrian schnapps tour, extreme sledding in Switzerland, the acrobats who repair ski lifts, and the shrinking size of wine glass
Today, we’re talking molten cheese, Swiss-style. Before then, a few things that caught our attention in the news:
🥃 A schnapps tour of Austria — NYTimes
🏔️ “Cable cars have transformed life in the Alps and around the world. But when operating at high altitudes, often in extreme conditions, what does it take to keep them safe?” — BBC
🎿 “Has skiing become too fast and too furious?” — The Telegraph
🍷 “A toast to smaller wine glasses” — The Guardian
🛷 “Teetering Between Joy and Terror:” extreme sledding in the Swiss Alps — NYTimes
Raclette
As I write this, it’s 17 degrees F in NYC with a wind chill hovering above 0. I’m doing my best to find any means of procrastination that will delay bringing the dog to the park. The park is lovely but its location right on the East River means there is no barrier between us and the wind that whips off the Atlantic and gains speed and strength squeezing through the thin track of open space that is our river. When those blasts of frigid air hit, they go right through you. It’s a lot, especially at 7am. Somehow the dog is unfazed by all of this; currently, he’s giving me the side eye that says, “I would like to spend 30 minutes running around while your hands go numb throwing toys for me.”
As part of my procrastination, I’m working on a menu for a dinner party. Parties of any kind in January and February can be tough. Everyone's a little knocked out from the holidays; most of us are still very full from a December of extra indulgences; some people are doing dry January. Otherwise enthusiastic home cooks like myself still aren’t motivated to spend time in the kitchen after a marathon of holiday meal-making.
With all of that in mind, the tone of a mid-winter dinner needs to be just right: don’t force anyone to stay up too late; don’t make drinks the center of the event; keep in mind that even in February, some of us can’t yet handle the sight of cake. The food prep should be minimal. That said, the evening still needs to be fun and in the case of the weather here, warming. Where does that leave us? With raclette, of course!
If you’re new to raclette, I’ll describe it based on my first experience having it. My friend Molly hosted a small group of us at her family farm one February to celebrate her birthday. When we entered the dining room for dinner, the table was laid with two electric grills that I quickly learned are raclette machines. Molly’s Swiss mother walked us through the steps: take the metal spatula, add a slice of raclette cheese, and place on the warming shelf to melt. While the cheese melts, add a heap of veggies – small steamed potatoes, pre-sauteed onions, and raw peppers – to the grill top to sizzle. When ready, the veggies go on your plate and the melted cheese slides on top. Cornichons provide a little acidity as needed. To drink, wine only I was told with a wink, as “water will congeal the cheese.”
When exactly raclette first appeared in the Swiss diet is unknown but food historians agree that Alpine shepherds developed it by heating slabs of cheese and then scraping the molten cheese onto bread. Unsurprisingly, its name is derived from the French word "racler," which means “to scrape.” The linguistic root of raclette suggests that the dish originated in Switzerland’s French-speaking Valais region as opposed to its German-speaking cantons. I found some articles that traced the first written account of raclette to the 1500s. Hundreds of years later, raclette appears in Johanna Spyri’s 1880s classic, Heidi.
The simplicity of raclette is part of its beauty. The quality of the cheese and vegetables, unencumbered by intense cooking or sauces, shine through. And there is real beauty in raclette as a cheese. Its melting point is akin to American cheese when it hits a burger patty on a piping hot grill. No gummy texture here, just molten bliss. But raclette’s flavor puts it on a level beyond its American peer. Nutty and salty, it carries enough flavor that you don’t need to season the vegetables that it adorns. As a meal, raclette is usually vegetarian though I’ll sometimes go off-piste by adding small sausages to grill or even nduja to the cheese as it melts (not traditionally Swiss but it is good.)
Perhaps my favorite part of raclette is that it’s an interactive meal. Everyone is constantly passing bowls of vegetables and slabs of cheese. Tips for seasoning tricks abound. And of course, the wine glasses should be replenished regularly. We can’t have congealed cheese.
Full Menu
To Start
An uncomplicated aperitif, like Dola Dira and fizzy water. Or a glass of zippy sparkling wine.
To keep it festive for non-drinkers, an herbal n/a tonic served on the rocks with a slice of orange
Raclette for 4 People
Raclette cheese. For 4 people, I would go for 2-2.5 lbs. At 2.5 lbs, you will have leftover cheese but it goes beautifully in a toastie sandwich the next day.
1.5-2 lbs small steamed potatoes. I like to use a mix of yellow and Adirondack blue if you can find them. 2 lbs will likely mean leftovers but use them the next day in an omelet.
2.5 large yellow onions sliced thin and briefly sautéed (5-7 minutes until they have a little but of color but you’re not caramelizing them.
2 yellow peppers sliced into thin strips
Cornichons
Spice seasoning as desired
Optional: small sausages such as Schaller and Webber’s Nürnberger Sausages
Green salad to serve after
Wine
You can do red or white but I love a cool white wine with this meal. White wines to avoid are anything oaked or buttery. You need acid to cut through the cheese. Keep it Swiss with Petite Arvine, Heida, or Chasselas. Or a dry Riesling will work beautifully too, I would just steer away from one with an aggressively petrol bouquet.
Dessert
Keep it simple. Chocolate brownies or flourless chocolate in thin slices. For something refreshing, poached pears in Sauternes.
Or hot chocolate with homemade whipped cream. A splash of plum brandy doesn’t hurt …
Thank you for bringing the Alps alive! So much so that I could not say no to a Les Trois Vallées adventure in early March. Any suggestions?