FRENCH RACLETTE
Consider this accessible, elegant menu an introduction to how the French do raclette. It’s a sound road map for a maiden voyage, since all of the accompaniments are purchased and offer familiar flavours and a double dose of carbs.
The cheese: French raclette French raclette is firm and quite fruity, with a pleasing salinity thanks to its brine-washed rind. It’s generally the most affordable raclette option, and available at more cheese counters than Swiss raclette (though, of course, feel free to tag in Swiss, if you’d like).
The starch: Baguette and boiled baby potatoes
Choose the freshest, best-quality baguette you can find, and boil the potatoes in liberally salted water. Toss a bay leaf in the boil to lend a nice herbal note to the potatoes.
The pickle and cure: Cornichon and Losada olives
Pair crisp, tart, clove-spiked cornichons — a classic French pickle made from mini gherkin cucumbers — with olives from Losada, a family-run producer of traditional Spanish and heirloom olives based in Seville, Spain. Pictured are blush-coloured Cornicabra, a rich, intensely flavoured olive from Central Spain, which is named for a goat’s horns; Empeltre, a soft black olive from Aragon that’s fruity and creamy; and Gordal, a large, pulpy green table olive from Seville.
The (other) protein: Dry-cured sausages
Keenan favours small-batch, dry-cured sausages from heritage breed pork. Charlito’s Cocina Trufa Seca is her choice, made with black truffles and sea salt, it’s packed with minerally, umami-driven, pork-tastic flavour.
The fruit: Fresh grapes and
raisins
Go for a variety of grapes, for flavour and colour variation. If you can find them, raisins on the vine make for a beautiful presentation.
Note: There are four basic categories of raclette machines for home use, from pans that use open flame to melt a slice of cheese to electric machines that melt a half wheel. Choose the method that best suits your commitment and budget.