Some years back--too many actually--I was in Chamonix and ate a dish that was simply referred to me as raclette. If memory serves me correctly, it was served with a round cooker that you slid thin triangular wedges of raclette cheese held on a little triangular spatula inside to let the cheese melt. You poured it and some meat and small potatoes, or bread, or both (I can't recall exactly) and it was, with some french beer quite tasty. I see raclette cheese in the USA, but I never see the cookers. Does anyone know of a nicely designed raclette cooker that would be available in the USA? I'm going skiing in California soon and I'd like to partake.
Or just do fondue, it's easier
We love fondue in this house, it's so simple, delicious and social. We often use the raclette cheese since it melts so nicely. But if you're set on purist raclette, here's some links. Sorry, they're too long for the link window.
http://ww1.williams-sonoma.com/cat/pip.cfm?src=pipcEltOtri%7Cgsku7080534...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000645Z6/ref=pd_sl_aw_alx-jeb-9-1_kit...
Shop online
Raclette is delicious! Cousins of mine in Gimmelwald (probably most of the town were cousins of some sort) invited my traveling companion and I for dinner and had a rectangular grill, similar to one called "Swissmar® Classic Raclette Grill". She did not grill anything on the top of the grill for the meal, but we used the heating element part for melting the cheese on the spatulas. The other parts of the meal were small boiled potatoes and pickled veggies with bread. And of course thinly sliced aged hard cheese as an after meal snack with bread. I can't recommend any particular cooker, but it seems to be a pretty simple dish. I would think any of those I see online would work fine. Given how well that cheese melts and how good it tastes I understand your desire to make it at home. We shopped on the internet after returning home, but could not justify a $100 purchase for such a single use appliance. As a tasty meal it beats the fondues I've had for sure.
I made a purchase...
I bought the Swissmar Matterhorn, because...(drumroll) being incorrigibly American, when in doubt get the biggest grill top you can. 🙂
Also, Target sells them just up the road and so I can return it, if I decide I need one with a stone top.
Brands include Swissmar, Stoekli, Trudeau, T-Fal, and Gourmet.
I would say no one has found a way to make a really sexy looking raclette grill, though you can tell they are making the first few faint hearted efforts in that direction. Hint: Designers, double click your CAD-CAMS and get going.
Apparent trade-offs to weigh are: oval vs. rectangular shape; stone vs. no-stick aluminum grilling surface; and 8 vs. 6 person capacity. I say apparent, because I found no meaningful reviews to distinguish the underlying tradeoffs among these appliances that an experienced racletteer would no doubt no. If any of you does design one of these, you may use "racletteer" as I just coined the word and I declare it open source--my contribution to the world's mirth and good will for today.
I went oval (its just a friendlier, more practical shape for social cooking at a round table and besides, wifey and I used a round one on our oh so romantic trip to the Alps, as youngsters), no-stick (my kid likes beef and chicken teriyaki which makes more sense on no-stick), and 8 capacity (three of us and two to four skiied out guests expected).
Personally, all I want is boiled potatoes, hard salami, pickles and raclette cheese with one of our local Santa Ynez valley chardonnays (maybe a syrah chaser to put me out) and a hot tub. Would someone please design a raclette cooker that will float in a hot tub without electicuting me? 🙂
If only George Foreman had grown up in Chamonix, training on Mont Blanc instead of flat, unzoned Houston, we'd all be cooking off George Foreman's Poids-Lourd Raclette Grill. It kind of looks like the same factory somewhere makes both the Foreman grills and the raclette grills. Shoooosh. Don't tell any poseurs.
P.S.: because koen likes the fastidiousness of links in the box, I will share one for the ne plus ultra square one that I will probably regret not buying.
http://www.entirelycooking.com/sku202880.html
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