Grillin' & chillin': Treat loved ones to a romantic evening of raclette

By Valerie Phillips
Deseret Morning News

      The foodies say fondue is "in" again, back from its heyday in the Swingin' Sixties.
      But if you've already been there, done that and prefer to avoid a Twiggy-and-go-go-boots flashback, try another Swiss dish for a romantic Valentine's Day. Like fondue, raclette is a centuries-old European cooking method that involves melted cheese and interactive cooking.

Raclette, a centuries-old European cooking method that involves melted cheese, is perfect for a romantic dinner for two. Lisa Marie Miller, Deseret Morning News

      With today's high-protein diets putting cheese back on the table, raclette might very well end up as chic as fondue once was (or now is). It's a new offering - and a sell-out - at the posh Deer Valley's Empire Lodge this season. And, Utah stores that carry electric raclette grills have seen a rise in sales.
      "I don't know if raclettes will get as big as turkey deep fryers did, but they will do as well as fondue sets," said Burton Vick, manager of Orson Gygi, a cooking supply store.
      However, it's not considered posh or trendy in Switzerland, it's just a way of life, said Anna Juhl, owner of the Juhl Haus Market & Deli in Foothill Village. Her store stocks raclette grills, as well as specialty cheeses, meats and other European products.
      "It was a poor man's meal, with leftover cheese heated over a fireplace and dipped with vegetables and hearty bread," said Juhl. "In Switzerland, you buy a grill and you have it for life because it's a staple item there; where in the U.S. fondue pots are trendy, they come and they go."
      The Juhl Haus has been serving fondue dinners on Saturday nights, and from that success, Juhl decided to add raclette on Friday and Saturday nights. The store's electricity was rewired with outlets near the dining tables, so the electric grills can be used tableside beginning Feb. 28.
      The grills have two tiers. On top, you sautŽ the meat and veggies while cheese melts and bubbles in individual shallow pans below. Diners take some of the meat and veggies from the grill and then pour their cheese over the top.
      Most grills are designed to serve up to eight people. Locally, the Juhl Haus, Sur La Table, Spoons & Spice and Orson Gygi sell them. At around $90 to $140, they're a bit pricey if you use it only once and then let it gather dust in a kitchen cupboard. But you can rent a raclette grill at the Juhl Haus for $10 - use it first to find out if it's really your cup of camembert. (Because supplies are limited, reserve ahead, especially on weekends, at 582-7758.)
      Judith Nielson of Salt Lake City rented one last December for a birthday dinner for her husband, Kris, who developed a fondness for raclette when serving an LDS mission in Germany and Switzerland 20 years ago.
      "He was nervous about whether the other people would like it, but everybody loved it. It was very cozy and everyone was sitting around the table talking, and it was so much fun. I was nervous that the kids would get burned, but nobody did."
      Raclette originated with Alpine shepherds who would move their herds high into the mountains for grazing in the warm summer months, according to Swissmar, a company that makes the grills. Food supplies were limited to basics, like potatoes, pickles and a round of cheese.

Anna Juhl, owner of Juhl Haus Market & Deli in Foothill Village, demonstrates how to use the raclette grill. Lisa Marie Miller, Deseret Morning News

      Long, lonely evenings were passed in front of a campfire, where a wheel of cheese was cut in half and placed on a rock near the fire's edge. The cheese melted and bubbled, and just before it could drip into the fire, it was scraped onto a waiting plate of potatoes and pickles. The word "raclette" comes from the French word, "racler" meaning "to scrape off."
      Deer Valley's Empire Lodge serves raclette fireside dinners on Thursday nights. The wheel of imported raclette cheese is cut in half and put on a device that swings over the fireplace. The cheese melts and drips onto a plate, and then it's served with cornichon (little Swiss pickles), pickled onions, steamed new potatoes, cured meats, strawberry chutney and fresh breads. It's $40 per person, and it's already sold out with about 50 parties on the waiting list, said Julie Wilson, Deer Valley's food and beverage director.
      "We're going to have to add another night besides Thursday next year," she said.
      Stein Eriksen Lodge offers raclette on its apres-ski menu in the Troll Hallen Lounge from 3-6 p.m. daily. The melted raclette cheese comes with potatoes, cornichons and salami for $13.
      Traditional raclette cheeses are made from aged raw milk, said Juhl, because pasteurization loses some of the cheese's flavor. On the other side of the Alps, the French make a raclette cheese that's a little more robust that the Swiss version - "a little stinkier," says Juhl.
      All that aging doesn't come cheap - the Swiss raclette cheese is $16.99 per pound; the French raclette cheese is $12.99 per pound at the Juhl Haus.
      But any good-quality cheese that melts well will work, said Juhl.
      So what do you cook on the top? Juhl likes thin slices of Black Forest ham, which is cured with juniper berries and pine needles, or other salty, flavorful hams, like prosciutto de Parma, because they heat quickly and add flavor. Chunks of bratwurst and cornichons are also traditional.

Most grills, which cost $90 to $140, serve up to eight people. They can also be used to cook French toast, sandwiches or numerous appetizers. Lisa Marie Miller, Deseret Morning News

      Small new potatoes, or chunks of larger ones, are another staple. They should be pre-cooked before going on the grill "otherwise your potatoes are forever and a day cooking," said Juhl. She also adds pickled pearl onions and fresh veggies, such as broccoli, green peppers, cucumbers, asparagus and mushrooms.
      You can also do seafood and other kinds of meats, but Juhl suggests cooking the meat on the grill first, then adding the veggies.
      Juhl said the idea is to load the grill up, cook it quickly and let guests take what they want and smother it with their melted cheese. Then as everyone's eating, restock the grill for the next round. Dessert can be something light, like a mint sorbet.
      The Swissmar Co. suggests using the grill to cook other things: French toast, grilled cheese sandwiches and numerous frozen appetizers, such as mini-quiches or mini-pizzas, that could also be smothered in melted cheese.
      One caution: The grill draws a lot of electricity, Juhl said. At her deli, each of the grills must have a separate outlet for the tableside cooking.
      So what's the attraction for modern-day diners? It's a novelty that gets your guests mingling, and like a barbecue, it's party food. But also, "There's a fascination with European culture and an appreciation of quality foods," said Juhl. "Americans are now thinking this is a good thing - good cheese and good-quality meats."

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