Andy Montoya
Raclette is a semi-soft cheese with a nutty flavour and a strong smell. It is usually melted and served with various accompaniments. The classic pairing is with roasted or boiled baby potatoes, crusty bread, cured meats, cornichons, and whole-grain mustard. If you want to get creative, you can also serve it with grilled vegetables, pickles, chutney, or even a green salad to balance out the richness of the cheese. Raclette is commonly enjoyed with a glass of crisp, dry white wine, but lighter reds or Belgian-style beers can also complement the cheese.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Dish | Raclette is both the name of the cheese and the name of the classic Swiss/French dish. |
| Wine | Crisp, dry white wine such as Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, or an unoaked Chardonnay. Some also suggest red wine, specifically lighter varieties like Pinot Noir. |
| Non-Alcoholic Drinks | Herbal or black tea, apple cider with cinnamon, or Belgian-style beer. |
| Meat | Sausages, bacon, ham, chicken, beef, lamb, salami, prosciutto, bratwurst, or other cured meats. |
| Vegetables | Mushrooms, courgette, aubergine, leeks, cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, baby potatoes, boiled mini potatoes, or roasted winter squash. |
| Bread | Crusty, toasted white bread, baguette, or ciabatta. |
| Salad | A fresh, green salad with vinaigrette dressing. |
| Fruits | Pineapple, apples, pears, or raisins. |
| Condiments | Mustard, pepper, paprika, saffron, thyme, nutmeg, caraway, chilli, smoked salt, cornichons, pickles, chutney, garlic, garlic butter, or jam. |
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What You'll Learn
Meats and vegetables
Raclette is a semi-soft/semi-hard cheese with a nutty taste and a strong smell. It is traditionally melted and scraped onto a plate over bread, potatoes, and meat. It can be served with a variety of meats and vegetables, including:
Meats
- Cured meats, such as speck, prosciutto, or dry-cured sausage
- Ham
- Salami
- Sausages or bratwurst
- Bacon
- Chicken, beef, or lamb
Vegetables
- Roasted baby potatoes or fingerling potatoes
- Grilled mushrooms, courgette, or aubergine
- Cornichons or other tart pickles
- Leeks cooked in garlic and butter
- Roasted Brussels sprouts
- Roasted winter squash
- Caramelized leeks
- A simple, lightly dressed salad
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Salads
When it comes to the type of salad, a crisp green salad is a good option. You can include crunchy, refreshing raw vegetables like well-cooked leeks cooked in garlic and butter, or roasted Brussels sprouts. If you want to get creative, you could also add diced raw or cooked mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, marinated mushrooms, or tomatoes.
For a more substantial salad, you can add cured meats like speck, prosciutto, or salami, along with boiled or roasted baby potatoes. The acidity from cornichons or other tart pickles can also help to cut through the richness of the cheese.
Overall, a salad with raclette cheese is a versatile and refreshing option that can be customized to your taste preferences and can help balance out the heaviness of the cheese.
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Breads
Bread is a classic accompaniment to raclette cheese. It is traditionally served with hunks of crusty, toasted bread or baguette, which act as a vessel for the melted cheese. Ciabatta bread is a good option, as it can be layered with melted cheese and peppery arugula, and even leftover charcuterie.
If you don't have crusty bread to hand, you can also serve raclette with white bread, perhaps with a little garlic or shallots, and with some kind of ham or salami.
Bread is a great way to mop up the cheese, and can be served alongside potatoes, meats, and other raclette toppings.
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Drinks
Raclette is a rich, indulgent dish, and as such, it is often accompanied by drinks that can help cut through the creaminess of the cheese. The most common beverage pairing is wine, specifically white wine, which is less dry and has higher acidity that can counteract the fat of the cheese. White wines from Chignin in Savoie, such as Riesling or Pinot Blanc from Alsace, are popular choices due to their tangy notes and elegant, fresh flavours that complement melted cheese. A Pinot Gris from Alsace is another excellent option, as it is less dry than Riesling and less sweet than Gewurztraminer, allowing the flavours of the raclette to shine through. For a bolder pairing, consider a Ziereisen Steinkrüble Gutedel 2020, which is reductive, textural, and a bit wild, playing off the light funk of the raclette.
While white wine is traditional, red wines can also be enjoyed with raclette, especially those that are not too tannic and will pair well with cold meats and charcuterie. A red wine from Morgon or Moulin-à-Vent in Beaujolais, known for its soft, fruity, and supple characteristics, would be a delightful choice. A Côtes-du-Rhône from the northern appellation containing Syrah is another option, as well as a Mâcon Villages or Pouilly-Fuissé from Burgundy. These red wines will add a depth of flavour to your raclette experience without overwhelming the delicate taste of the cheese.
If you want to explore beyond wine, black tea is a recommended beverage to pair with raclette. Its herbaceous notes and slight bitterness provide a pleasant contrast to the cheese, and it has the added benefit of being more hydrating and better for digestion than wine. For those who enjoy a stronger drink, sake is an unexpected but excellent pairing with raclette, especially rich, creamy, and umami-forward varieties. The Hojo Biden, aged for two years, develops flavours of honey and almond when enjoyed at room temperature or gently warmed, creating a unique and indulgent pairing with the cheese.
While less traditional, some people also enjoy drinking beer with their raclette. Water, however, is generally discouraged, as it is believed to cause the raclette to congeal in the stomach, leading to an unpleasant digestive experience. Instead, beverages with higher acidity, like wine or tea, are favoured for their ability to aid digestion and enhance the overall raclette dining experience.
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Desserts
For a sweet ending to your raclette feast, a Mont Blanc dessert is a great option. It is made of pureed chestnuts with chocolate and covered in meringue, shaped like a mountain. You can also mould chocolate mousse into a mountain, cover it with "snow" and top it with a Swiss flag.
If you want to stick to the Swiss theme, you can serve good Swiss dark chocolate with port wine.
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Frequently asked questions
Classic side dishes to serve with raclette cheese include roasted or boiled baby potatoes, cured meats, cornichons, whole-grain mustard, crusty bread, and a crisp green salad.
Raclette cheese is traditionally served with a crisp, dry white wine such as a Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio. However, some people also enjoy it with a lighter red wine like a Pinot Noir, or even a Belgian-style beer.
If you're looking for something a little different, you could try well-cooked leeks in garlic and butter, grilled pineapple, or even diced raw apple for dessert.
Raclette cheese can be melted and scraped onto a plate over bread, potatoes, and meat. You can use a raclette grill, skillet, or casserole dish in the oven to melt the cheese.
