Chewbacca
Oh the Raclette! What on earth is that all about? It's like trying to cook a meal over a tea light. One of the daftest inventions ever.
ah well, was going to try and ignore this thread. Bu then ...
Raclette, fondue, tartiflette- eaten without meat and with pickled veg, have really strong historical roots. When upland farmers were stuck up mountains for months on end, and the only thing to eat was cheese and home pickles, and old potatoes, and perhaps a little dried or salted/smoked meat. It was not out of culinary choice. Râcler means to 'scrape', so potatoes were cooked on the wood burner, and cheese was held vertically by the open fire, and scraped onto potatoes, one by one- and a few pickles served with- Fresh vegetables long gone, as winter would take hold from October to end of April.
So nowadays, raclette served with one of those electric things with little dishes is nonsense. As Mocryna says, it has to be served by scraping from a half cheese, from the vertical machine or outside even better, on a vertical wood burner. And none of this greasy, tasteless cheese- but the very best from the Bagnes Valley- rarely served in restaurants.
Real history there- and should onle be eaten after a day's hiking or skiing in snow- not some posh super expensive restaurant- where it is clearly nonsense.
Traditional dishes, in any country, are usually based on poor people's food, based on available local ingredients- and often when little else left.
