- have potatoes and different kinds of bread, included nut-bread and crazy ones (curbis seeds for ex.),
- I don't see how you can do without desalted capers,
- I would make five or six different vegetable mix with strong to mild spices, keep it warm in the oven, (spinache garam massala, tajine style carots, peanut beans, pesto courgette etc...)
- smoked duck, that's a basic, (serving turkey ham is just bad taste even if you like it),
- something with curry, that goes well with raclette cheese in my world, but maybe I have strange taste,
- something uncooked (mâche/nüssli salad, ruccola, onion sprouts...)
- something with champignons (Eierschwämme/chanterelles or others)
- at least five kinds of olives, otherwise I won't come (that's a hint if you don't want me).
Big no-nos:
anything with butter - cream sauce - mix raw milk cheese with cooked cheese (wrong words but you get the picture) - gorgonzola - cocomilk.
However!!!!
If you want something to cook in the raclette tray instead or together with the cheese, things are different.
- any pickel, buy many,
- any vegetable cut in julienne or smal cubes
- the above suggestions to be put in small portions with cheese just to warm it up
- fresh herb mixes on top of cheese
- olives (goes with everything)
- spice powder or all kinds
- smoked duck (come on, make an effort)
Big no-nos:
any kind of leaf (it would burn)
have fun
Don't forget the potatoes. Boiled small potatoes. Yum. There have been some good (and strange! ) ideas posted so far. I like brocolli, tomatoes and cauliflower.
As for getting "good" raclette cheese, I agree! It's not difficult to find though! You just need to go to a cheese shop and not the supermarket. Just about anything you get at the cheese shop will be better than what you find at the supermarket.
A jacket potato? I've never seen jacket potatoes served. I've always been told that the waxy potatoes are the best to use, not the floury ones. Personally, I've never met a potato I didn't like.
Forget about toppings and all that stuff, just get a good cheese (Bagnes and Conches never disappoint), some good fendant (Rouvinez Sierre, Yves Vocat Noës, Jean-René Germanier Vétroz,...), some potatoes, pickles, grated pepper, and basta.
If it ain't broken, don't fix it.
Raclette is one of those things that has to be had in a kind of traditional manner...
Leave pineapple for those who like it on pizza (eugh).
We once were over to my brother-in-law for raclette, they had capers, sliced raw onion, sliced tomato.. hmm... think that's about it?
When hubby and I have it, we have sliced onion, marinated artichoke heart, mixed pickles (onion, cauliflower, gerkin, sliced carrot), pickled banana peppers and usually get cheese that has specks of bacon and garlic already in it.
One thing different between m-i-l and hubby compared to my brother-in-law (hubby's brother) is that usually hubby and his mom peel their potatoes, my b-i-l does not. I found that discovery to be a bit "freeing" as I can't stand to have the feeling of the sticky potatoes on my fingers so to find that it IS okay to eat the potato peel and all was fantastic.
Maybe the reason many 'non' Swiss use pineapple and other stuff with raclette, is because they just don't know how to find/choose an excellent raclette cheese. And of course very few will have homemade self- found wild mushrooms, like écailleux, chanterelles, bleus, bolets. to eat with the raclette. Why not try and make pickled cauliflower florets next year in readiness for the winter.
All in jest of course - and may your raclette go with you, as Dave Allen said. Odile/Swissie
If we have a "raclette night" I buy pieces of lamb, steak, chicken breast etc., cut them into strips and marinade them for people to pick at and grill on the top.
I also slice mushrooms, courgettes, peppers thinly.
Another nice one is to steam winter vegetables (pumpkin / squash,
carrot etc) for a few minutes then dress them while still warm with olive oil, lemon juice, marjoram and crushed garlic and put them in a bowl for your guests to pick from. My favourite is to put a few pieces of veg into the cheese pan with a slice of bacon and let it cook for a few minutes, then put a slice of raclette on top and let it melt.
It goes without saying that you should also provide a bowl of steamed small charlotte potatoes with the skins on - wrap them in a cloth to keep them warm.
Of course, a fairly acidic white wine will go well with the cheese, but if you go with the grilled meats etc, why not try a light Blauburgunder or Dornfelder (both red) and chill them slightly before serving.
Cheers,
Nick
Bob
If you want a Pizza Quattro Stagioni, just order one......
The grey Schalotten/échalottes are harder to find but taste even finer. Echalotte grise is for snobs, I admit. But when it's right, it's right.