Everything you need to know to set up a raclette and host a dinner party
One of the nice things to come out of quarantine is my desire to host. When most of the restaurants were closed in the summer, hosting at home was really the only option, with my bubble obviously. Since this New Years’ Eve, we were under strict restrictions to continue to stay home and only socialize with our bubbles, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to finally invest in getting a raclette.
I have never been crazy about fondue, so raclette seemed like a good option. It is really the perfect no fuss dinner party idea and it is fun and interactive. There is a little bit of prep required with the meat and the vegetables, but otherwise it is super easy.
Raclette is a typical apres-ski meal in Switzerland, traditionally raclette cheese is used, however, given that this was a spur of the moment decision, I really had to simplify my recipe.
Shopping List
- Vegetables to grill – Mushrooms, peppers, asparagus, onions, cherry tomatos and zuchini
- Baby Potatoes
- Cured Meat
- Assorted Cheese – I used havarti, cheddar, brie and swiss cheese
- Olive Oil
- Bacon
- Bagette
- Sirloin Steak
- Prawns
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Tzaziki
Instructions
Prep the Toppings
- Cut the vegetables into thin slices so that they are easy to cook. I found my asparagus took forever to the grill so next time I would boil them with the baby potatoes.
- Boil the baby potatoes and then cut them into halves.
- Satee sliced bacon and onions in a pan to act as a garnish.
- Marinate the sirloin steak – I used garlic, soy sauce, honey, and olive oil. I put the meat in the freezer so it was easier to slice thinly.
- Cut cheeses up into small cubes or thin slices
- Slice up the bread
Prepare the Table
- I tossed the vegetables in olive oil and sprinkles some salt on them so that they were ready to be grilled
- the grill must be heated up for ten minutes before putting all the items on
- I put all the cheeses together and then the cured meat separately.
The Main Event | Winning Combinations
- Use Tzaviki as a topping for the vegetables to give them more flavour.
- Wrapping the asparagus in prosciutto before grilling
- Mixed brie with bacon and onions and poured it on top of my grilled potatoes
- I grilled the cherry tomatoes and bread and then added melted brie on top
It is basically a choose your own adventure, I think next time I will mix things up and steer away from the traditional theme, but as a first attempt, it was a hit.
- Mexican Style – Grilled meat and bell peppers with tortillas topped with cheese, salsa and guacamole
- Nacho Plate – Serve tortilla chips and then grill shredded meat and veggies as a topping with melted cheese
- Korean BBQ – grill marinated meats and veggies on the top and serve with a bowl of rice
- Breakfast – prepare pancakes and sausages with fun toppings
- Dessert Style – serve with S’mores fixings, fruits, and chocolate
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It is such an easy and entertaining way to host a dinner party and every person gets to cook their food to their liking. Do you have some other great raclette suggestions? Let me know in the comments below.
