Fireside Raclette
Three ways to melt raclette by the fire — the traditional Swiss half-wheel, individual barbeclette pans, or a fast griddle — built around a board of potatoes, pickles, and charcuterie.
Equipment
- barbeclettes (individual raclette pans for the grill) for the crowd version
- wooden board and a spatula or the back of a knife for the traditional half-wheel method
- griddle or flat plate for the fast version
- campfire, barbecue, or fireplace grate
Ingredients
The Cheese
- raclette cheese in pre-sliced packs, or a half-wheel for the traditional method
For the Board
- grelot or fingerling potatoes steamed, cooked in foil, or fried — or french fries (melted cheese on french fries is the absolute BEST)
- cornichons and other pickled vegetables
- vegetables such as cauliflower, mushrooms, bell peppers
- cured meats such as viande des grisons, dried duck breast, prosciutto, or bacon
- country bread
- green salad
To Finish
- herbal tea to help with digestion after the meal
Instructions
Build the Board
- Arrange the potatoes, pickles, vegetables, cured meats, bread, and salad on a large board or platter before you start melting cheese, so everything is ready the moment the first scrape happens.
Option 1 — Barbeclettes
- Lay a slice of raclette cheese in the non-stick side of each barbeclette pan.
- Set the pans on the campfire grate or barbecue grate and watch closely — melted cheese goes from perfect to burnt fast.
- Once the cheese is bubbling, use the small spatula to slide it straight onto a plate.
Option 2 — Half-Wheel Over the fire’s Edge
- Set the half-wheel of raclette cheese, cut side toward the heat, at the edge of the fire — close enough to melt gently, never in the flames.
- As the surface melts, scrape it off with a spatula or the back of a knife onto a waiting plate or board.
- Keep scraping as the evening goes on, melting and serving a little at a time rather than all at once.
Option 3 — Griddle
- Set a griddle or flat plate over the grate and melt slices of raclette directly on it.
- Scrape or lift the melted cheese off onto plates as soon as it is bubbling.
To Serve
- Let everyone build their own plate as the scrapes come, and finish the meal with a pot of herbal tea.
Notes
No Fixed Quantities. This is a build-your-own board — scale the cheese and the sides to your crowd and how hungry everyone is. Buy more cheese than feels reasonable; it goes fast.
Pick Your Method. The half-wheel is the traditional, most theatrical option; barbeclettes let a group melt cheese at the same time; the griddle is the fast version for when everyone’s starving.
Why It Melts at the Edge, Not the Center. Raclette is meant to melt gently and stay silky, not brown or bubble hard. Keep it near the heat, not in it, whichever method you use.
Cheese Substitutes. If true raclette cheese isn’t available, young Gruyère, Comté, Morbier, or fontina all melt in a similar way.
After Dinner. A pot of herbal tea at the end helps settle a meal this rich in cheese.
See the frequently asked questions
- Which cheese to use for raclette
- Whether a raclette machine is needed
- Making raclette on a backyard barbecue
- How much cheese and potatoes per person
- No half-wheel of raclette cheese
- Doing it indoors by a fireplace
- What else to serve with raclette