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Menu Themes for Raclette Parties

Almost anything goes with a raclette dinner party and after some short preparations before your guests arrive you can sit back, relax and enjoy the occasion. Using a raclette grill allows you to get back to enjoying simple and nutritious foods and appreciate the art of eating as much as the food. You can choose from a combination of fresh vegetables or indulge in fresh seafood. Some delicious suggestions for menu themes are:

Classic Raclette -cheese selection (raclette, swiss, emmenthal, gruyere), ham, small onions, gherkins with boiled or baked potatoes.
Vegetarian - cheese, potatoes, asparagus, capsicum, mushrooms.
Pizza - mozzarella cheese, ham, pineapple,cherry tomatoes, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, fresh oregano, serve with continental Italian bread (chewy crust variety)
Gourmet- prawns, smoked salmon,dill, avocado, creamy ricotta cheese sauce, served with crusty bread.

See our recipe section for great ideas and further inspiration for your dinner table.

Suitable cheese varieties

The most ideal cheeses that you can use with raclette are those that melt well. There is cheese made especially for raclette grills and in Australia this is Heidi Farm Raclette Cheese (the Grand Champion of 2005!) made in Tasmania, or two Queensland raclette cheese from Fromart and Maleny (In New Zealand this is Ferndale Raclette Cheese, the Grand Champion of 2004!). You'll find it at a specialist deli or you can also mail order it fresh to your door in many places of Australia. Contact us for further details.

Other cheeses more widely available that are also perfectly suitable are Emmenthal, Gruyere, Jarlsberg, Alpsberg, Appenzell, Comte, Gouda, Swiss, Vintage or Tasty cheddar, Mozzarella.

Potato Varieties

In Australia the most common potato variety is Sebago which comes brushed (unwashed and are cheaper) or washed (sometimes called "new") but why not try other potatoes varieties which are even tastier like: :
-Kipfler : cigar shaped, yellow skin, meaty flesh.
-Nicola : oblong-long shaped, rich yellow skin, yellow flesh.
-Desire :round, pink skin, pale yellow flesh.

Steaming potatoes rather than boiling or microwaving them will help retain the rich antioxidants found in their skin and will help hold the potato's shape and is a highly recommended form of cooking. Arrange small potatoes on perforated steamer over rapidly boiling water until cooked.

For a more chewier skin try baking potatoes in their jackets. Wash and pat dry before wrapping in foil and bake for 40 mins at 250°C. Place directly onto Raclette hot plate to reheat when required.

Remember to keep the skin on when cooking.

Reheating potatoes: Potatoes can be cooked prior to the function start and the pot placed on top of the raclette grill shortly before eating to reheat.

Catering tips and suggestions

Because many of the ingredients used with raclette are displayed uncooked, they can look extremely colourful and appetizing when sliced up and displayed on serving dishes. So have fun finding imaginative ways to slice.
If you are on a tight budget you could get everyone involved by helping out bringing some of the ingredients directly to the event e.g a jar of olives or a plate of sliced capsicum or packets of leg ham. There is hardly any precooking involved so many guests won't find this too much effort.
Buy the best and freshest vegetables you can. If possible buy them directly from the fruit and veg markets at Flemington (where restaurants buy their produce from) and take advantage of bulk buys. Freshly picked vegetables contain a higher amounts of natural flavour and naturally bright colours are still locked in which means everything looks great together during presentation. You could even try buying online via The Flemington markets website at www.greengrocer.com.au and test out fresh produce for yourself.