Raclette is a cheese dish that originated from Switzerland and is traditionally served with potatoes, pickled onions, mushrooms, sliced peppers and a few flavors of dried meat, so to make things easier, the cheese is initially heated with the help of a Raclette machine,[ also known as a raclette grill] and then gently grated over the meal of your choice.
From medieval times to modern raclette machine
Medieval writings boast that Raclette cheese is full of nutrients, and was primarily consumed by the farmers in Switzerland. At dinner time, farmers used to heat the cheese over the fire, until it was smooth enough to serve over traditionally baked bread. A Raclette machine incorporates the same principle of preparation, and lets you enjoy Raclette cheese, the way it was supposed to be!
A Raclette machine is similar to an electric grill, but with small pans, which are used to heat individual portions of Raclette cheese. When shopping for a Raclette machine, you will notice that they come in two common styles, which work in the same way, to produce Raclette cheese you will cherish.
Several types of raclette machine
The first style of Raclette machines incorporates a half wheel of cheese, which is placed over the inbuilt heater, which gradually melts the cheese, and lets you scrape it off onto a plate. Raclette is derived from the French word racler, which means ‘scraping’ in English. The commonly used Raclette grill works in the same exact way as the first one, but lets your diners scrape their portion of cheese at the same time as the cheese is melting.
Since raclette cheese has grown to be a popular choice for many diners, there is a much easier and faster way to get the cheese to your awaiting diners. The raclette machine comes in a variety of sizes, and can be placed in the centre of the dining table, which gives everybody a chance to scrape the cheese at the same time. This type of raclette machine works in the same way as a grill or a pizza oven.
Each diner can place a slice of cheese in their individual non-stick tray, and expose it to the heating element, and watch their cheese melt to perfection. Once the cheese is perfected to their taste, they can simply use the wooden scraper, and scrape the cheese onto their plate, or over their desired toppings. A raclette machine is a unique and easy way to entertain your guests and family.
The traditional Swiss recipe uses simple ingredients such as a few small potatoes, raclette cheese, ham, baguettes, pickled onions and fresh pepper. Simply boil the potatoes with their skin, and then place them with the ham, baguettes and pickled onions on the table. With the help of your raclette grill, your guests are now able to scrape the melted cheese right onto their plate. Ground pepper can then be used to garnish the cheese, and all can be served with a piece of warm baguette.
Raclette cheese can be substituted with Appenzeller, Tilsit and Emmental cheeses. A raclette machine is truly a great investment and is sure to change the way food is cooked in your household.
