Awhile back, Janice and Andrew invited Ran, Mel, Jo, Chris and myself over for a Raclette & Ravin Rabbids night at the West Wing.

I’ve seen raclette cheese at the supermarket, but I never knew there was a method to eat it! Raclette is a type of cheese from Switzerland that is prepared with vegetables on a special raclette grill. The word raclette is derived from the French word racler which means to scrape.

So for those who aren’t sure what it is, here’s a short gourmet lesson on raclette.

History
This warm cheese dish originated in the Valais canton of Switzerland where farmers and herdsman would make a meal of cheese melted by camp-fire or hearth, potatoes and pickles. Historians conjecture that at some point the cheese got too close to the fire and the melted cheese dish was born. The cheese and the dish have been documented back as far as the year 1291 and at that time was called Bratchäs.

Today besides the requisite potatoes and pickles any number of foods are eaten with the cheese including fish, poultry, vegetables and sometimes even wild game.

The Cheese
Raclette cheeses are typically round weighing 13 to 17 lbs and are about 11″ in diameter and 3″ thick. The cheeses are all cow’s milk have in common a creamy consistency which easily melts but does not get too runny. The semi-firm cheese is normally aged about 3 or 4 months.

The different cheeses are named after the villages from which they are produced. The three premier villages are Gomser, Conches, Bagnes, and Orsieres on Raclette.

Selecting Cheese
The cheese should have a dark beige rind with no cracks or reddening. The texture should be creamy and dry or granular.

The Swiss Tradition
In the Swiss tradition raclette cheese is melted over an open fire and melted slowly. As the cheese melts it is scraped off the wheel and served with boiled potatoes, bread, cornishons (pickles) and other pickled vegetables.

The Raclette Grill
The raclette grill has overtaken popularity of the traditional raclette equipment. The new grills allow you to melt cheese in individual serving trays while grilling meats, fish, poultry and vegetables on the upper grill level. Some units feature reversible grills with a smooth side with a raised grill on the reverse side. Stone grill tops may be available as well.

Courtesy of Gourmet Sleuth

After filling our tummy’s with loads of diary, we attempted to burn it off with ravin rabbids on the Wii. Another first for me, I thought it was one of the best console games I’ve ever played! Now I’m thinking if it’s a worthwhile investment to buy one for the household, it makes a great party game for young and old. Would be great to see my parents getting into the action.

Thanks Jan and Andrew for hosting the pre-Vday get together!