Raclette

Switzerland

About Raclette

Raclette is both a Swiss cheese and the dish made from it. Traditionally, half a wheel of raclette cheese is heated in front of a fire, and the melted layer is scraped onto plates of boiled potatoes. The name comes from the French racler, to scrape.

It comes from the canton of Valais in the Swiss Alps, where farmers and herders melted cheese over their campfires. It is served with small potatoes in their skins, gherkins, pickled onions and dried meats.

Today many people make raclette at home with a tabletop grill, where each guest melts slices of cheese in small pans. It is a popular winter meal in Switzerland, France and other Alpine regions.

Ingredients

• raclette cheese
• potatoes
• gherkins
• pickled onions
• dried meat