Raclette American Style Recipes

Steps:

• TO DO AHEAD, steps 1 - 5 (about 30 - 45 minutes prep time: Cut rind off Raclette cheese and slice about 1/4" thick and in a size to fit your raclette trays. Slice the cheddar cheese the same way. Arrange on a platter, cover and refrigerate.
• Slice the Portobello mushrooms 1/4" thick, (or buy already sliced). Slice the peppers in long strips. Put mushrooms and peppers into a Ziploc bag. Mix or preferably emulsify together Good Seasons Italian dressing package with balsamic and olive oil. Pour into the Ziploc, close and gently shake to coat everything. Marinate for no more than half a day. Arrange on a platter, (We put it on an oval one, red pepper strips in the middle and mushrooms on each end - pretty!), cover and refrigerate.
• Brown the sausages on all sides in a skillet. When nice and browned, boil them until just done, still a little pink in the middle. When they are cool enough to handle, slice them about 1/4" thick and on a slight diagonal. Arrange on a platter with the ham slices, (step 4).
• Separate the proscuitto and ham slices. Cut them in half and arrange them on a platter - we took each slice and made a sort of rosette out of it so they were easier to pick up and put the sausages in the middle with the hams on either side.
• Put shaved beef in a Ziploc bag. Pour in your marinade of your choice, close the bag and shake to mix well. (We emulsified together some olive oil, bourbon, a garlic clove, about a T. of Grey Poupon mustard, a splash of balsamic and black pepper.) Marinate for an hour to several hours. Drain the marinade off the steak; try to separate the slices, make "rosettes" and arrange on a platter BY ITSELF since it's a raw meat; cover and refrigerate.
• AN HOUR BEFORE EATING, step 6: Take everything out of the refrigerator (at least an hour before eating) so they're room temperature.
• ABOUT 20 MINUTES BEFORE EATING, steps 7 - 9: Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the potatoes till just done - fork tender but not falling apart. Drain and place in a covered dish.
• Put your greens in a salad bowl. No more than 20 minutes before eating, toss with your favorite vinaigrette (we made our own with wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, pinch of sugar and dried dill), orange sections and walnuts.
• Turn on your Raclette grill. I taped the grill's electric cord to the table so it wouldn't be accidentally jerked off if someone tripped over the extension cord. Of course, I tripped over the cord - thank GOD it was taped down!
• DINNER'S READY!!: Put everything on the table and enjoy! We used sandwich plates instead of dinner-size plates and everyone had their own salad bowl, which we dished up and took to each person at the table. We also used fondue forks for stabbing and grabbing. DELICIOUS!!! And a lot of fun!
• For those of you who've not done this yet: Each person takes the cheese they want and what they want to grill on the top of the raclette maker and then"cooks" his own meal. The Raclette (or cheddar) cheese is melted in small pans underneath the grill top. When the cheese is melted it is poured over the potatoes. The meats and veggies are grilled on the top of the appliance. DELICIOUS!!

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place the potatoes in a medium pot, cover with water by one inch, add 1 tablespoon salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when tested with a wooden skewer. Drain and cover with a kitchen towel to steam for 5 minutes. Cut in half lengthwise and set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large (12-inch) sauté pan, add the chorizo, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning often, until browned. Drain all but a tablespoon of the fat from the pan, add the potatoes, and toss to combine with the chorizo and fat. Off the heat, stir in the wine, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Divide the sausage and potatoes among four gratin dishes. Arrange the raclette in one layer over the potatoes and chorizo. Distribute the thyme sprigs on top. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is hot and bubbly.
• Remove the gratins from the oven, place the cornichons on top, and serve hot with the bread and mustard.

Steps:

• Have a knife ready and small plates to serve. Arrange potatoes, pickles, onions, caper berries, ham, and tomatoes on a serving platter. Place cheese on a clean stone or a heatproof board or tile as close to the fire as possible. As the top of the cheese melts, scrape off cheese onto potatoes and accompany with garnishes. It takes some time between servings for the cheese to continue to melt, so have some wine or kirsch handy to keep guests happy.

Steps:

• Start by making the vinaigrette. Put the mustard and red wine vinegar into a bowl or jug and whisk together. Add salt and pepper then slowly add the sunflower oil, whisking as you go until the mixture is thick and smooth. Stir in the chopped chives and store in the fridge until needed.
• Boil the potatoes for 15-18 mins or until tender. Drain, leave to steam dry for a few mins then add the butter, keep warm until serving.
• Arrange all the other ingredients in bowls, plates and platters on the table. Set up and turn on the raclette machine according to manufacturer's instructions - you may want to set the raclette machine on a heatproof tray to catch any melty cheesy drips.
• Let your guests help themselves to ingredients - if your raclette machine has a top hot plate use this to keep the potatoes warm or crisp them up and use to cook the peppers if you don't want them raw.
• Get stuck in! Everyone should have their own mini handled tray on which to put a slice or two of raclette cheese. This then sits under the central grill until melted. With an arrangement of potatoes and/or cured meats etc on their plate, your guests can then scrape their own portion of melted cheese on top with a wooden paddle or spoon. Leave the jug of vinaigrette on the table so it can be drizzled over the potatoes or salad leaves to taste. Serve with crusty bread on the side.

Steps:

• Chop up the Bacon and Salami. set to one side. Blanche the Asparagus and just bring the sweet corn to the boil and drain. Leave to cool.
• Chop up the onion, Tomato and capsicum into small dice, put them all in individual small dishes and cover all the prepared ingredients.
• Cook the potatoes, and serve hot with all the ingredients on the table. People can then help themselves to what they like, usually putting on the bacon and uncooked vegetables first so that they cook well. Add the spices to taste.
• Add the Asparagus and corn, then put a thin layer of cheese over the top, slide under the frill part of the raclette and heat until the cheese has melted.
• Put just two new Potatoes on the plate, cut open and add the cooked mix over them.
• Refill your cooking utensil and start over again, most will have three to four helpings,.
• Its delicious, relaxing and so much fun.