Our first Raclette.

On Tuesday we had a very enjoyable long lazy lunch with friends in Yátor and were introduced to our very first Raclette.

We have had fondues in the past, we have a fondue of our own, but have never seen or heard of a raclette.  Raclette is a semi-firm cows milk cheese from Switzerland and the word is also used to describe the meal and the grill that is used.

Traditionally, the cheese was melted in front of the fire and as it melted, it was scraped off and eaten.  The word 'raclette' comes from the French 'racler' meaning to scrape.  But nowadays there is a grill that melts the cheese and the hot plate above cooks the food that you are going to eat with the cheese.  Potatoes are cooked first, some people suggest slicing the potatoes, some suggest they are best crushed before the melted cheese is added, sometimes bread is served, always a selection of cold meats, sometimes sausages, gherkins, olives.......

With me so far?  Here is a link I found to a Swiss restaurant in Sydney  with some really clear photos to explain the process....

So now you've seen how it works.  We had our raclette on the roof terrace, lunching in the sun, with some good red wines, lots of potatoes, a large variety of cold meats which we sizzled on the grill top and a seemingly endless supply of raclette cheese.  A very relaxed way of eating, cooking and eating to suit your appetite.

Truly an international dish...English friends eating Swiss food in Spain and the link is through to a Swiss restaurant in Australia!