My first Raclette - first impressions
Jenny - My first introduction to
raclette was in Germany together with relatives. My German born
husband and I had just arrived after the long flight from Sydney.
Feeling quite jet lagged, I could hear murmurings about what was
going to be our welcoming dinner that night. We were having raclette
that evening and I had no idea what it was. Now, I'm a big potato
fan and to my surprise I saw the table extended and decked with
all my favourite foods. Lots of different types of ham together
with some raw vegetables. The electrical gadget in the middle
of the table I had never seen before. These people had raclette
quite regularly. I knew Germans were big on potatoes too but I
didn't know cheese and potatoes could taste this good. I wondered
how did this remain such a secret to me for so long. It was so
simple yet the best fun I had at the dinner table.
As I discovered cheese that has just come out of the refrigerator
can be quite unassuming. But when it is heated and grilled , the
smell and the flavour were absolutely delicious. It was only years
later that I got hold of my own Raclette grill for use back here
in Australia. They are so common in Europe they sell them in shops
equivalent to "Woolies". In Germany raclette cheese
comes ready sliced and conveniently packed. Here in Australia
we need to slice and prepare the cheese ourselves. But I'm grateful
to have many European cheeses also made here, although they are
a little hard to find.
Natalie - As an exchange student in
Switzerland I attended a function with my host family at a club
house for a sporting club. Raclette was on the menu - Swiss style.
The hall was full with long tables and long benches and jolly old
men and women were busily behind the counters serving up this cheese
dish one by one to people waiting patiently in line. Huge pieces
of cheese were being melted by an unusual grilling machine and the
top layer of melted cheese scraped onto my plate with a potato.
I was meant to sit down quickly and dig in as it was best eaten
hot. It was the yummiest thing I'd had tasted. I went back for more
6 times. Months later I was invited to a German family's home and
we had raclette again but they had their own grill hotplate appliance
in the middle of the table -enough for 8 people and that seemed
more civilised and still loads of fun.
How was your first raclette like? Send us your feedback.
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Pty Ltd (ACN 112 356 448)
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More in this section:
What is Raclette
Raclette Party Tips
The Raclette Meal
First Impressions
Have a look at our raclette grill models The
Gourmet or The
Entertainer. What a fun way to entertain up to eight dinner
guests.
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