Raclette

Dinner

Raclette cheese melted until they're bubbling and golden at the edges. You scrape the molten cheese onto boiled potatoes, mushrooms, and pickles, it's nutty, creamy, ridiculously rich, pooling around everything in glossy streaks. It is the ultimate Alpine comfort food! Forget complicated cooking, this one’s simple, sociable, and downright delicious.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings 4

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Ingredients  

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Fondue

• 1 kg Raclette cheese 250g per person
• 800 gr firm-fleshed potatoes

On the side

• 200 gr pickled gherkins cornichons
• 150 gr pickled onions

Salad with mustard vinaigrette

• 100 mixed lettuce leaves e.g., butter lettuce, rocket, or lamb’s lettuce
• 1 tsp mustard from Dijon
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• salt and black pepper

Equipment

• 1 Raclette grill
• 1 mixing bowl for the salad

Instructions

1. 1. Prepare the potatoes

   Wash the firm-fleshed potatoes and boil whole in salted water until tender (about 20-25 minutes). Drain and let cool slightly.
2. 2. Prepare the salad

   In a small bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard and vinegar. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking until the dressing emulsifies. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the dressing with the mixed lettuce leaves just before serving.
3. 3. Slice the cheese

   Cut Raclette cheese into 5mm thick slices if not pre-sliced. Arrange on a plate ready for melting!
4. 4. Heat the raclette grill

   Preheat your raclette grill.
5. 5. Assemble and serve

   On each plate, arrange potatoes, pickled gherkins, and onions. Pour the melted cheese over the potatoes and accompaniments. Add a portion of dressed salad for freshness.
6. 6. Melt the cheese

   Place a slice of cheese in the individual raclette tray and slide it under the heating element. Let it melt until bubbling and golden (about 3-5 minutes).
7. 7. Repeat and enjoy

   Continue melting and scraping cheese, pairing with more potatoes and pickles throughout the meal. Share, chat, and enjoy!

Notes

• Raclette means “to scrape,” the traditional way to serve melted cheese over food.
• Firm or waxy potatoes hold up perfectly to the cheese, unlike floury ones which break down.
• The crisp salad with mustard dressing cuts through the cheese’s richness and refreshes the palate.
• Vegetarian friendly, simple, and endlessly satisfying!

About this recipe

Raclette is a dish with deep roots in the Swiss and French Alps (just like the cheese fondue Savoyarde), where it began as a simple shepherd’s meal designed to stave off the biting cold with melted cheese and basic staples. The name itself, “raclette,” comes from the French verb “racler,” meaning “to scrape,” perfectly describing the traditional method of heating a wheel of cheese by the fire and scraping the soft, melted part onto boiled potatoes, bread, and pickles. It’s a dish that grew from humble origins into a beloved winter comfort food that brings people together around a table.

What makes Raclette so special is its simplicity and sociability. Unlike many meals, Raclette isn’t rushed or plated up individually. Instead, it’s an interactive experience where diners melt their cheese portions to golden perfection. It’s about melting your own cheese just how you like it, some prefer it golden and crispy (that’s me), while others go straight for the gooey goodness (my friend, who’s not great at waiting for cheese to melt!). The longer you cook the cheese, the richer and more intense the flavour becomes, so everyone gets their perfect slice of cheesy heaven.

Vegetarian-friendly versions, like this one, strip back the meat to focus purely on the rich, nutty cheese, the creamy, firm potatoes, and the bright pickles that cut through the richness. That said, raclette’s traditional roots are firmly tied to charcuterie. If you’re feeling indulgent, add ham, smoked ham, dry sausages, or smoked bacon, all of which pair wonderfully with the melted cheese and bring a hearty, smoky depth to the table.

Pairing the dish with a crisp white Burgundy or an Alsace Riesling adds a lift of acidity that complements the cheese beautifully, reflecting the classic Alpine way of eating.

Fair warning: Raclette is absolutely addictive. Once you start, there’s no going back.