Raclette toppings

Food & Drink, Events and Entertainment
1
I did a search for various things, including "raclette toppings" and couldn't find what I was looking for.

Basically, I'm hosting a raclette evening next weekend and would like to make a shopping list! I thought of gwtting silverskin pickled onions, gherkins, bacon bits etc... what other things do people think I should buy? I never had raclette before I came here, then fell in love when I had it. I have my grill... now all I need is an idea of what to buy!

Thanks in advance. Like I say, I did try and search, but couldn't find what I was looking for...

K

2
Spices: nutmeg, paprika, curry powder, and a special raclette mix is available in migros or coop...

Also: chilies (slice 'em small), a good white wine, perhaps a sweetcorn salad side dish, chunks of pineapple (for the avant-guarde)

en guete!

3
Here are some recipes:

4
Pears with raclette will blow your mind.

5
Interesting perspective. I never felt that raclette deserved better than un demi de Fendant

6
IMHO, your imagination is the only limit — and I learned this from a Swiss friend: You can cook an egg, broil any sliced meats or fresh veggies (e.g., peppers, mushrooms, onions), additional cheeses ... whatever suits your fancy.

If some of your guests might be hard-core traditionalists, you'll want to have the standard fare (gherkins, pickled onions, Bündnerfleisch) on hand. But for the adventurous, feel free to suggest new options by making them available.

En guete!

7
My old and trusty article about Fondue and Raclette okeee,the emphasis is on Fondue but it may still be helpful to some.

http://sylvssilverspoonreturns.blogspot.com/2010/11/fondue-and-raclette.html

Lets put it that way...purists would want on their plate just the molten cheese,a jacket potato silvers skin onions and a pickled gherkin, some nutmeg,pepper and paprika to season.

I love he new grills with the hot stone/grillplate on top..then sky is basically your limit because you can mix and match what ever you fancy it's also great for fussy eaters..b.e. one of my friends can't stand cheese at all but her hubby loves it...so i make sure i have a selection of cut meats and veges for her to grill on top of the stone,whilst her hubby indulges himself on the 'lower floor' on cheese .

So some ideas for toppings on the cheese itself:

Veges: halved cherry tomatoes,zuchetti slices,onion rings, garlic slivers,diced bell peppers, peperoncini or chilies,finely cut rings of leek,my fave diced fresh ginger, sliced champignon mushrooms, chanterelles mushrooms fresh or pickled, pickled green peppercorns,broccoli and cauliflower precooked and torn into little flowerlets etc

Fruits: fresh or canned ...pears, pineapples, peaches,grapes........

meat: slivers of streaky bacon, cured ham, small meatballs,(non-meat) quartered falafel ...........

Pickles: Gherkins,silver skin onions,pepperballs, mini sweetcorn,borretana onions ( pickled in red vinegar),chanterelles mushrooms,jalapenos or chilies,drained sundried tomates ( they are in oil and this would be to heavy as the cheese is quite fat already),sushi ginger ( if the fresh one is too hot)

Seasonings: pepper, nutmeg,paprika, are the basics and are also what the prefab mixes contain..but then .........also cayenne pepper,dried chili flakes,curry hot and mild, different herbs dried or fresh, dried onion or garlic powder ( for those who can't eat the fresh )..orange or lemon seasoned pepper mix....

You see , you basically can't go wrong, there is so much that can be added to a fun version or you can keep it simple and plain for purists as described above.

.......and my all time personal favourite to smear on top of raclette,in migros there is a chili -garlic sauce on the asian stuff aisle.....yummy and hot

Oh and prepare enough potatoes ...left over spuds can then be worked into hash browns, roesti, potato salad etcetc

HTH

sylv

8
Maybe a touch pedantic, but I'd hate you to make a faux pas!

The Raclette is usually the topping, not the other stuff....you pour the cheese onto the various bits of pickled nonsense listed below....or potatoes traditionally.

Probably why your search on "raclette toppings" didn't yield much!

9
Banana slices and curry powder is a particularly good nontraditional combination.

10
It is pedantic, but I'm a pedant, so I don't mind!

None of my guests are Swiss, so I imagine none are particularly traditional about it.

Thank you all for the great ideas, I'll start making my list

11

eerrhhmmmmmm...... I thought this goes without saying

12
Yeah, I knew the cheese went on top. I just wasn't sure how to phrase what I wanted to say, as they're the bits that go on top of the potato when you have raclette...

13
I like to put pear and walnut in the tray, under the cheese.

14
Oh, I have walnuts! Actually, I have quite a lot of crap in the cupboards (which has come from my boyfriend and a friend of ours... I don't even know what's there!). I'll have to have a rummage around.

15
Swiss people just have cheese, potatoes and pickles (I make many jars of pickled wild mushrooms every year) + grated pepper. There is a good historical reason for this. Up in the small alpine village - they could not keep many beast over winter, due to space and fodder- so most had to be culled and keep just enough to start over in the Spring. No way to store most veggies properly either - so cabbages were pickled (sauerkraut) and so were onions, gherkins, mushrooms, etc. Potatoes were kept in the dark so they wouldn't sprout too much. Beef was dried or salted/salpetered. And in the days of later winter, there wasn't much left but cheese, old potatoes, dried bread, pickles and wine (hopefully) - and if lucky some 'lard' (pancetta/bacon). And the food, day in day out, had to be a combination of the above. Hence fondue, sauerkraut, tartiflette, etc. For the raclette, the cheese was just put on a stone in front of the open fire, where the potatoes were cooking in a pot, and then scraped onto plates in turn.

We were invited to a raclette by British friends who have a Holiday home near here - and it was a big surprise for us, as they had lots of different cheeses, including soft cheeses, and a big plates of dried beef, ham and parma ham. It was .. different, but great fun and very good. So, do what you fancy- have fun and I'm sure it will be great. BTW we have a raclette machine holder for 2 half cheeses, and do the 'proper' scraping - personally I prefer it this way. I'd say the most important thing for a raclette, is to have excellent cheese - raclette cheese go from the sublime - like Bagnes/Conches valley cheese, and the ridiculous = no taste and lots of fat. if it is cheap, it probably is not very good.

Tell us how you get on. odile

16
Nachos, surprisingly, go really well with raclette. Their crunchiness is a welcome contrast to the rest of the typical raclette meal components. Slices of aubergine or courgette are also great - brushed with oil, thrown on the top of the grill (can get smoky, but it's not so bad as they cook quickly). Then there's pineapple slices which are great.

17
No, no - even the most open minded Swiss will draw a line at pineapple slices with raclette.

18
I am Swiss and most of my surrounding people are too....and we love it....i just say each to his own ...thats good things with a dish like this .......and be open minded and courageous to try new stuff....life is too short !

19
yes, I know - forgot to put a few smilies! Not for moi, but as you say, each to her'his own. Bon appétit.

20
Actually, Swiss white does go best with Raclette and fondue, even if you aren't a fan (like me!)

Because of the rich, melted cheese coating your tastebuds in fat, you need a sharp white to cut through this. Whatever you do, don't have something Californian....or heavily oaked....yuk!!!

Having said all that, French Chablis with it's flinty taste, goes rather well with melted cheesey stuff.