Cardiovascular Soirée

RACLETTE PARTY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Christmas season is almost on. A time where families get together and gifts get exchanged. But what would all that be without the food accompanying the Christmas days. While traditionally Luxembourgers would often eat a sort of black pudding on Christmas Eve, nowadays many opt for the less traditional Raclette. Although not traditional, you would be hard pressed to find a Luxembourger that does not consider the Raclette to be a typical Luxembourgish meal for the winter times.

Especially among young people in Luxembourg, you will find many taking dusting off the Raclette grills for Christmas. And that is exactly why I am writing this article, to explain, to you reader, how to replicate this typically Luxembourgish Christmas meal.

First and foremost, before you can make a Raclette dinner, you will need to get a Raclette grill. This vary greatly in size and price, just buy what is most appropriate for your budget and number of guests. A Raclette grill is usually made up of a metal or stone part, on which you can cook the meats and vegetables, and a compartment underneath it where you warm the cheese in small compartments.

The second most important thing, and arguably the star of the show, is the cheese. Around this time of year, you will find many varieties of Raclette cheese in pretty much every supermarket. Choose what you like or pick and choose between different cheeses for some added variety.

Then you should get some potatoes to boil. Boiled potatoes topped with Raclette cheese make up the base for a perfect Raclette experience. They are usually served with the skin on.

After having the base, the rest is pretty much up to your and your guest’s personal taste. I will however offer some recommendations. Raclette is often accompanied by some cold cuts, like ham or salami. Other popular meats are bacon and sausages, like the Mettwurscht, which can easily be cut up and put on the grill. If you want, you can even use thinly sized beef. However, other meats are a trickier affair due to the risk of cross-contamination. Quail eggs are also common to see in a Luxembourgish raclette meal.

Due to the fatty nature of the raclette it is traditional, and in my opinion also highly recommended, to serve something sour with your raclette. The most used acidic component are pickles. Pineapple can also be great, especially because it tastes amazing grilled.

All in all, the best thing about raclette is the customizable nature of the dish that makes it the perfect meal to enjoy with a group of people. Everyone is guaranteed to find ingredients they like to pair with the amazing base that is cheese and potatoes. It is vegetarian friendly and can even be enjoyed by vegans if one likes vegan cheese alternatives or omits the cheese entirely. For those reasons, you should definitely enjoy one or more raclettes this Christmas season with your friends, family and roommates.

Besides the meat, vegetables and mushrooms are also a welcome addition to freshen up the experience. As long as you thinly slice your vegetables you should be able to use every vegetable you enjoy grilled. The same goes for mushrooms.

Happy Holidays!

by Jennifer Jacquemin