Kissing Cousins: Raclette Fondue Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between fondue and raclette? ›

A key difference between fondue and raclette is how the cheese is melted for raclette. According to Taste France Magazine, a raclette involves searing a block of cheese over an open flame before scraping the melted portion over boiled potato slices and adding toppings like deli meats or gherkins.

"The key with fondue is to keep the temperature very low once you start adding the cheese." In the double boiler, the heat was gentle enough that even with prolonged exposure, the fondue never got hot enough to break.

“Gschwellti” or steamed potatoes are a must for raclette. In addition to pickled onions and gherkins, other great options include fruit mostarda, corn on the cob, red pepper or sun-dried tomatoes. Fruits such as pears, pineapple or grapes are also delicious with raclette.

At home, a raclette meal is served using a table-top grill, like one pictured in these photos. The cheese is melted in small pans called coupelles, which are placed under the heating element. The grill plate is used to cook meat and vegetables, although we have eaten with friends who don't use the grill plate at all.

Here's what you need for an authentic raclette: The cheese: If you can't find cheese specifically made for raclette, use any really good melting Swiss cheese, such as Gruyere or even Appenzeller. Make sure the cheese has a flat surface to melt in front of the fire.

Raclette cheese is a semi-hard cheese that is sliced thickly and melted or grilled. The Swiss tradition is to serve melted raclette as a side served over pearled onion, crusty French bread, asparagus, cornichons, or boiled potato.

Fondue rules

You must not double dip, and never put your fork directly into your mouth.

You can dip any meat you like, but we recommend filet mignon, sirloin, or ribeye beef. You can also choose a variety of vegetables to dip. This recipe makes enough fondue for four people. If you're a fan of fondue, you'll want to serve up the best cuts of meat for dipping.

Like any other food fad, the fondue was not meant to last as a trend. By 1999, amid allegations of corruption and concerns over the high costs of cheese subsidies and fondue's decline in popularity, the Schweizer Kaseunion collapsed.

Classic: raclette cheese, small potatoes, ham, sausages, Bündnerfleisch air-dried meat, pickles, pickled pearl onions and a baguette. Quebec-style: Gré des Champs cheese, small potatoes, apples, bread. Italian: mozzarella cheese, prosciutto, salami, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes.

What should you not drink with raclette? ›

Try following these 3 Swiss Rules when having Raclette: No Side Dishes – They don't want anything else grilling. No Drinks – You cannot drink water during and 2 hours after, you can only wine, beer or hot tea. They believe that when you drink anything else, it will cause you congeal cheese in your belly.

Appetizers. Traditionally, a raclette meal starts with a platter of thinly sliced cured beef, known as Bünderfleisch. Unable to find Bünderfleisch in the US, we substitute with Bresaola, its Italian equivalent.

Raclette (capital R) is the name of a traditional cheese that originated in the French and Swiss Alps. But raclette (lower-case r) is also the method of serving this cheese melted over bread, potatoes, or other goodies.

The traditional Valais way to enjoy raclette is with boiled potatoes, cornichons, and pickled onions. Warm black tea is often enjoyed with raclette because warm beverages are thought to aid in digestion, although the local white wine Fendant is also a welcome pairing.

White ham: Cooked pork knuckles (French origin); Bacon: Coche meat (Tarn Pork from France), salt, pepper; Coppa: Pork meat (from Tarn, France), salt, pepper; Bayonne Ham: dried pork ham (from France); Rosette: pork meat (from France), salt, pepper; Ventrêche: Pork meat (from France), salt, pepper.

There are four commonly prepared types of fondue. They are cheese fondue, chocolate fondue, oil fondue (also known as meat fondue), and broth fondue.

Popular since the Middle Ages, Raclette is still produced with milk from cows that are fed fresh grass in the summer and meadow hay in the winter, resulting in an aromatic cheese ranging in flavor from mild and milky to piquant, depending on the wheel.

Raclette is a semihard cheese and Gruyère is a hard cheese that is aged for at least six months and up to 24 months. Raclette and a young Gruyère share a creamy and nutty flavor, while an aged Gruyère is more earthy and grainy.

Classic: raclette cheese, small potatoes, ham, sausages, Bündnerfleisch air-dried meat, pickles, pickled pearl onions and a baguette. Quebec-style: Gré des Champs cheese, small potatoes, apples, bread. Italian: mozzarella cheese, prosciutto, salami, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes.