Raclette Grill Party at Antje's
Posted by Sonja Hoffmann on
I've been in the business of spreading the word about raclette for 15 years now. The most common way the US embraces raclette is at home with a raclette grill. There are a variety of models. They all come with a number of little pans (usually 6-8) that go under a heating element to melt the sliced raclette cheese (or any other melt-able cheese). On top of the heating element is a grill top (non-stick coated aluminum, cast iron, glass, or granite stone) that allows to grill small pieces of meat, chicken, vegetables, fruit and more. The following pictures were send to me by my friend Antje who hosted a Raclette party at her house.
Raclette is a traditional Swiss cheese dish original from the Swiss alps where shepherds would take a wheel of cheese with them and melt it close to the fire. A more practical approach is to use the raclette grill which is becoming more popular in the US. Everything that is being served can be prepared (cut, maybe marinated) well ahead of time. When it is time to eat everybody ‘cooks’ their own dinner by selecting the grilled goods and scraping delicious melted cheese over it. This particular dinner party served the traditional boiled potatoes and cheese, a variety of vegetables (asparagus, red pepper, onion rings, peas and mushrooms) and to complete the meal they served Buendnerfleisch, a traditional air-dried beef, Italian salami and prosciutto. I hope the following pictures will make your mouth water. I know I have to get my grill out tonight!
I did not add a recipe to this post because there is no right or wrong way to raclette. Whatever you feel might taste good together works. The peas (picture above) mixed with the cheese were new to me and I will try that next time! There are countless ways to enjoy the raclette. The most important ingredients are your dinner guests to enjoy this wonderful meal with!
But wait, what about dessert?
This group of friends was really creative and invented "Raclette S'mores". Now that looks tasty!
For more inspiration please take a look at my recipe page!
We always enjoy a raclette over the Christmas – New Year period. Such a great, sociable way to eat …
My family and I use it during new years as a way to sit together and have fun cooking. We live and work between Germany and the U.S.A, and when we use it as a family cooking fun no matter where we are.