Raclette Cheese

NOTES FROM THE CURATOR

Owing its name to the French word, “racler,” which means, “to scrape,” Raclette is a semi-hard cheese that has a thin, orangey brown rind. Its pate is a pale yellow, creamy and firm, but very smooth.

It’s made of raw cow’s milk, giving it a unique richness. Unlike some cheeses, it smells very aromatic, fruity and pleasant on the nose. On the palate, this winter cheese is milky and nutty, with hints of sweetness.

The Bow Tie Duck offers two types of Raclette:

• Raclette du Jura - Made of raw unpasteurized milk, hailing from the Jura mountains of France
• Raclette Mazot - Made of pasteurized milk, from the cellars of Fribourg.

PAIRINGS AND PREPARATION

The best, and most popular, way to have Raclette is the traditional way—melting it and pouring the cheese over various food.

It’s a very convivial food, best enjoyed amongst friends and family. Sit down together for a relaxing meal, with the Raclette as the star.

Serve this alpine cheese over roasted potatoes, vegetables, cornichons, and cured meats. We suggest our prosciutto di parma, our coppa, or our bresaola.

Pair this with a Riesling, or other dry white wines, like this Beaumont Chenin Blanc.

A SNOWY TRADITION

A winter cheese, there is good reason Raclette is popular in the Swiss Alps, and other ski regions. Way back, shepherds would move their cows to and from pastures, up and down the mountains. They needed the food they brought with them to be relatively cheap and not easily spoiled.

They brought cheese and potatoes. While they roasted the potatoes over the fire, a big piece of the cheese would be placed near the heat, and it would start to melt. They would then scrape that melted cheese onto their potatoes. It was a simple, cheap meal that was filling, nourishing, and completely delicious.

Storage Instructions

Cheeses (except brined ones in jars) should be stored in the crisper or the butter drawer of a refrigerator, not on the shelves themselves. This is to help regulate their temperature and humidity levels—and prevents the formation of mold. Once opened, they should not be kept in their original packaging. Semi-hard cheeses (including blues) should ideally be wrapped in cheese paper after opening. An alternative is to wrap them tightly in parchment paper to allow them to breathe, then loosely in aluminum foil to keep moisture out. Don’t forget to write up a label with the date you first opened the package. Replace the parchment paper every time you open the cheese, and it will be fine for up to one month.