Gooey Delights

As we head into the Christmas season, thoughts turn to warm fires and comfort food and what could be more comforting than to spend the evening enjoying the Swiss tradition of Raclette or Cheese Fondue?  Our imagination conjures up pictures of snowy days on the ski hill as we carve the perfect course down the slope, the crowd cheers, cowbells ring as we raise our hands in the victory air-punch....OK, so I face-planted!

The history of Raclette goes back 700 years to the Swiss cowboys in the southwestern part of Switzerland best known for the Matterhorn.  These were the young men who lead the herds high up into the summer pastures of the Alps.  They would take basic provisions with them and of course one of those things would be a wheel of cheese.  This would be one of the semi-firm wash-rind cheeses that the Europeans are so well-known for.  In the evenings, they would face the wheel in front of the fire until the top layer became soft and then "racler" which is the French verb for "to scrape" the gooey cheese onto a piece of bread or new potatoes and enjoy this with onions and pickles.  To this day, this is the traditional way of enjoying Raclette.

Today, Raclette has become a meal that also includes a variety of charcuterie - cured meats such as sausage and prosciutto, seafood like shrimp, vegetables and of course, boiled new potatoes and a selection of pickled condiments.

Why not start a new tradition in your home this Christmas Eve by enjoying Raclette or Fondue?

Classic 3-Cheese Fondue

·         235 ml (1 cup) dry white wine

·         1 clove garlic, halved

·         200 g (7 oz) each of Gruyere, Emmental and sharp Cheddar

·         30 g (2 tablespoons) Sherry

·         15 g (1 tablespoon) cornstarch

·         Nutmeg, dry mustard and pepper to taste

Grate the cheeses, set aside.  Rub the inside of your fondue pot with the halved garlic and discard the rest of the clove.  Heat the wine without boiling and if desired, add a splash of lemon juice to the wine.  Add the cheese to the hot wine handful by handful, stirring until cheeses have melted.   Combine Sherry with cornstarch and add to melted cheese mixture.  Dry mustard and or nutmeg can be added to taste.  Serve the fondue with chunks of crusty bread and vegetable crudités for dipping.

Bon Appétit!