What can I do with my raclette?

[Beryl]

I bought one today, having had a raclette meal at a friends house and liked the concept.

What do you do on your raclette please as I am looking for inspiration.

[PeterG]

Probabley the same as any other kitchen gadget.............Use it once and put it in the back of a cupboard never to be seen again!!!!!!!!!!

[Chezstevens]

Yep - go next to the fondue set.

[Suandpete]

Various sorts of salami, bacon, thinly cut beaten steak, sliced peppers

and mushrooms, knacks etc etc.   Our French friends put on

whole rashers of belly pork - but that can get a bit messy and

spitty!   Gherkins, silverskin onions, whole small potatoes

and salad on the side.....

[samdebretagne]

We put sliced ham, sausage or cut-up pieces of chicken, pork or beef.   For veggies, you can use pretty much anything, but peppers and mushrooms work particularily well.

[Beryl]

Thanks for those suggestions.

I have a fondue too [:$] and use it, though I don't wear an Abigail's Party kaftan!

I quite like anything that doesn't tie me to the kitchen all night. I don't mind doing preparation before hand as long as I can speak to my friends without having to dash back to the kitchen or get hot and bothered. 

[Mistral]

We're very french about it, we generally do the standard classic raclette meal. i.e. we melt raclette cheese which we eat with charcuterie/viande des grisons and boiled potatoes. My husband is getting more adventurous and now accepts that we melt different kinds of cheese (goat's is good) instead of only the raclette.

I once read a suggestion of doing dessert with a raclette, things like slices of apple or banana with sugar on top to caramelise. I once put crumble topping on and then grilled it which was nice.

 On saturday nights we try to have a special meal with the kids and raclette is one of their favourites so we eat it about once a month and we had fondue only last night.

[La Vette]

You can also make galettes or crepes on the top, it comes with a special stick for twirling the batter as the raclette is a bit big to lift and move the batter around like you do in a pan.

[Coco]

Peter was right, it's one of those things you "must have" having eaten it somewhere else, use it once or twice and forget about it.  Our main problem was that when you're doing it with friends my OH always felt he didn't get enough to eat because of the cooking space on top.  We've done it a couple of times on our own and it's fine.  However, thanks for reminding me of it's existance - Saturday nights we like to do snacky type things to eat in front of "Strictly Come Dancing" (sad I know) and usually it's dips, chicken wings, a few pasta salad type things, but that would make a nice change occasionally [:D] 

I agree about the mushrooms and peppers - courgettes are good too.  We also do streaky bacon and small pieces of chicken.  You can also buy the packs of thinly slice raw meats for cooking on those stone things, which is a lazy way of saving preparation on meat for the raclette.

[Cassis]

It's a great lazy hosts' dinner party idea.  We normally have 3-4 each winter.  In fact we have 2 raclette machines, one for each end of the table!

We don't have a toastie machine or a fondue set, though. [:)]

Do any French people ever eat their potato skins?  No-one round here seems to and they regard us as a bit odd for not peeling our potatoes before eating them.

[Mistral]

[quote user="Cassis"] Do any French people ever eat their potato skins?  [/quote]

No.

 I really can't see the point of cooking them in their skins if the result is going to be encouraging your guests to scald their fingers while trying to peel them. Of course the advantage is that while the French parts of the family are faffing around trying to peel boiling hot patates, i'm already eating [:)]

[Cassis]

I agree - bizarre - we've been to French friends' houses and had raclette and their potatoes are cooked in their skins.  They then take them and peel them before pouring cheese on them or whatever. 

We don't bother - we eat the lot. [:D]

[Beryl]

Me too, I love boiled potatoes with the skin on as long as the skin is not too thick. Apparently most of the goodness in potatoes is just under the skin and if you peel them, you lose that.

I managed to find some fairly decent sized potatoes suitable for baking last week too and I forgot how good they tasted with loads of butter.

[Loiseau]

Yumm!  Had already decided to do a raclette for my reading group on Tuesday (Eek, hope none of them is allergic to cheese!).  I have a machine at home in the UK, but have to rely on having made a trip to France to bring back the cheese, and those useful platters of the meats.  (You can freeze the cheese, if you want, for future raclette sessions.)

And it's a great way to entertain the grandchildren. Even those that don't like cheese are perfectly willing to cook it for others, as it;s such fun...

Angela

[samdebretagne]

[quote user="Cassis"]I agree - bizarre - we've been to French friends' houses and had raclette and their potatoes are cooked in their skins.  They then take them and peel them before pouring cheese on them or whatever. 

[/quote]

My in-laws told me this is because French people don't wash the potatoes before cooking them, so the skins are considered to be dirty.  It's so akward to try to peel them with a knife and a fork!!  I just eat them anyways, that's where all the vitamins are!!!

[sasfields]

We have two, one in France and one in England - use them both quite often.  Then the daughters all had to have one (each) too so we have in total bought five!  Then my niece ......... and so it continues...  Should I buy shares in Tefal???

The granddaughter loves it and has to have one every time she comes over.

Haven't used the fondu for years but you've given me a good idea for this weekend.  THANKS!![:D]

 

Sass

[Cat]

Another thing that amazed me was to see my other half eating raw poitrine fumé, I know it's smoked, but to me it is something that shouldn't be eaten without cooking.  Maybe it's a french thing.  I had to insist, when we did a raclette last weeked, on putting the poitrine on a seperate plate to the other charcrouterie.

We like to serve quails eggs with the raclette, we crack them into the trays and cook them in the same way as the cheese.  Kids love doing this, and most adults seem to enjoy it too.

We're a bit untraditional about the whole raclette thing, we also but out bowls of pineapple slices to cook, and those little artichoke hearts that come in jars, and roasted red peppers (again from a jar, usually), sliced mushrooms, and a big bowl of steamed cabbage with lardons. 

I think sometimes french people can be a little wary about straying from the traditional way of cooking and serving food themselves, but they do like to try different things, and end up eating everything with great enthusiasm anyway.

 

[Coco]

Angela

You can usually buy raclette cheese off the fresh cheese counter in Waitrose if you can't make it to France.

[Meg]

There is a book:

Raclette

I got my mum a raclette (and this book) for Christmas last year!

Louise

[sasfields]

[quote user="Cat 46"]

We're a bit untraditional about the whole raclette thing,

[/quote]

My mouth is watering - sitting at my desk in the office wanting a decent lunch instead of the Marmite sarnie in the drawer!!

We're a bit untraditional too.  I like to fill the tray with onion and red peppers, sometimes mushrooms, and when they are warmed through, put the cheese on top until it is cooked and pour over the potato (skin on, of course).

PS - Great book Louise, I've ordered it already!

[Dick Smith]

In Leclerc today I saw fondue au chocolat sets. It seems you put things into melted chocolate - or have I got that wrong - didn't have my reading glasses on.

[Tresco]

No, you've got that right. I went to someones house and they'd just bought one. It was bliss, for an hour.[:D] 

If you buy one it could end up being one of those little used gadgets. It'll take up a lot less space than a raclette though.

[Dick Smith]

You must be joking! Bits of steak and stuff half-cooked in melted chocolate? Mind you, it must make a pretty pattern with the cheese.

[Tresco]

[quote user="Dick Smith"]You must be joking! Bits of steak and stuff half-cooked in melted chocolate?
[/quote]

We weren't offered meat and cheese[+o(]. Various chopped fruits and little biscuits worked for me.[:)]

[Cassis]

Are people still doing those chocolate fountains in the UK, anyone know?