Winter makes us want to be warm and cozy — as in, sit by the fire and eat comfort food. With melted cheese, you have yourself the perfect winter meal. But do you know the difference between raclette and fondue? We have recipes for both that will tide you over for the season.
You’ve probably seen the Instagrammable Gold that is the raclette burger or pasta dish, gooey cheese being poured onto your plate table-side. But today, we’re taking this dish back to its original roots, with no trendy stunt foods in sight. Raclette is native to Switzerland, both the cheese and the dish it was named after. From its beginning origins, this meal has been European comfort at its finest. Creamy cheese heated over a fire or grill, then scraped over your carbs, meat or veggies of choice– it simply doesn’t get more decadent than that.
For an at home raclette meal, you’ll need a table-top grill like this one. The cheese is melted in individual pans called coupelles, which get placed under the heat for extra bubbly, dreamy raclette. On top of the grill, you can get creative and cook up whatever your heart desires. Our spread of choice includes potatoes, sausage, beef filet, bacon, broccolini, oyster mushrooms and asparagus. Another traditional (and favorite) option is to serve cold cured meats and briny snacks alongside the raclette — like salami, cornichons, pickled onions, and olives.
For a raclette dinner, a good rule of thumb is to have 7-7.5 ounces of cheese per person. It’s a meal that begs to be shared among a large crowd, so gather as many of your cheese-loving friends as possible and go crazy. We also love the idea of gifting your foodie friends raclette grills this Christmas, along with a basket of cured meats and other goods to complete the raclette-dinner setup. It’s like the ultimate charcuterie board, just a little more festive.
Our Perfect Raclette Dinner
Ingredients
7.5 oz of Raclette cheese per person
2 bags of baby Yukon gold potatoes, roasted
2-3 bunches of asparagus
1 package of bacon
7-10 oz oyster mushrooms
3 lbs of sausage (your choice)
1 beef filet
12 ounces of broccolini, ends trimmed and blanched
1 jar of stuffed olives
10 oz of salami
1 jar of cornichons
1 jar of pickled onions
Directions
Prepare your meat and vegetables, either on the raclette grill or on the stove. For the broccolini and potatoes, roast/blanch 30 minutes prior to serving your raclette meal.
Arrange your raclette grill in the center of the table, along with the plates of prepared meats and veggies. If necessary, cut your cheese into smaller pieces to fit in the coupelles under the grill. Turn the grill to medium-high heat, then place bacon in first, if using. Cook until crispy, then remove from the grill and use the bacon grease to cook the rest of the meat and vegetables. If you’re not using bacon, just brush the grill with a bit of oil before cooking.
While your meat and vegetables cook, add the pieces of cheese to the small trays, and place them under the grill. Once the cheese is melted and your sides are cooked, scrape the melted cheese over each bite of potato, meat, asparagus or whatever you choose. And of course, make sure to have plenty of good white wine to share with the meal.
Fondue
Yes, everything old is new again, and fondue is no exception. This dish never really went out of style, but has always been lovingly associated with a 70’s dinner-party charm. That’s what makes it so fun. In fact, fondue is sort of like raclette’s hip little sister. Both have origins in the Alps, and both involve delicious melted cheese, for starters. But fondue is enjoyed more like a sauce, served in a heated pot. Instead of scraping the cheese over your potatoes, sausage or apples, you put your vessel on a skewer and submerge it in the rich, cheesy goodness.
It’s a little more casual than raclette, and a bit more feasible for a lowkey weeknight dinner. The only special gadget you need is a fondue pot, and the whole thing comes together in just a few minutes. The best part of fondue is that it’s completely customizable to your liking. But if you need some inspiration, here’s our recipe for the perfect fondue dinner.
Our Perfect Fondue Dinner
Ingredients
For the fondue
2 cloves of garlic
1 ½ cups of dry white wine
2 cups of Gruyère cheese, grated
2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar
1 tbsp of unsalted butter
2 cups of Swiss cheese such as Emmentaler or raclette
2 tbsp of all-purpose flour
1 tbsp of malt vinegar
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Our favorite dippers
Crusty cubed bread
Sliced apples
Sliced pears
Roasted broccoli or cauliflower
Grilled sausage
Roasted asparagus
Soft pretzel bites or naan
Roasted potatoes
Directions
Cut one of your garlic cloves in half and rub it around the inside of your fondue pot, coating well. Set aside. Repeat this process with the other half, coating the inside of a large saucepan. Add the wine to the saucepan and bring it to a boil.
Meanwhile, add your shredded cheese and flour to a large bowl or plastic bag and toss to combine. Make sure the cheese is coated entirely.
Once it’s boiling, bring the wine down to a simmer and begin to whisk in the cheese ½ a cup at a time. Make sure the cheese is melted entirely before adding more. Next, whisk in the butter, vinegar, and a clove of minced garlic. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, just to keep the mixture warm.
Once it’s ready to serve, transfer the cheese mixture to your fondue pot. Serve with your choice of dippers, and plenty of skewers.
