Salt Potatoes with Raclette

Baby potatoes with raclette cheese melted over them and garnished with gherkins and cocktail onions.

5 from 1 vote

Adding salt to your Raclette potatoes during cooking gives a delicious contrast to the Raclette cheese. It doesn't take any more time than regular Raclette potatoes but it makes a big difference. When your meal only has 2 main ingredients it is important both are top quality.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: French

Servings: servings

Calories: 645kcal

Author: Carolyn Hetke

Equipment

Large Sauce Pan for the potatoes
Raclette machine preferred but not mandatory

Ingredients

48 bite size gourmet potatoes about 3 lbs. See Notes for substitutions.
1 cup table salt
10 cups water
2 Tbsps butter optional
36 oz raclette cheese See Notes for varieties.
2 cups French cornichons can substitute sour gherkins (not sweet)
2 cups sour pickled cocktail onions or other pickled vegetables to taste
fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

Combine water and salt in a large pot. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Once water has boiled reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes until potatoes are fork tender. Drain potatoes and keep warm until ready to serve. Optional - toss the potatoes with the butter, while they are hot, until melted and keep warm until ready to serve.
While potatoes are cooking slice cheese into ¼ thick slices. Remove wax rind. Hard edge can be left or removed. Some enjoy the hard edge of Raclette.
If using a raclette machine, bring it to temperature. Transfer potatoes to a serving dish. Pass Raclette slices, pepper, cornichons and pickled onions separately. Allow diners to melt the cheese and pour over their potato servings.
If not using a raclette machine, preheat your oven to 350℉. Transfer cooked potatoes to a cast iron skillet or other baking dish, in one layer. Top potatoes with raclette slices and allow them to heat until cheese is uniformly melted. This may take 10 minutes or so but check after 5 minutes. Divide among serving plates. Alternatively put the plates on a baking sheet and melt cheese over the potatoes on each diners plate. (Taking precautions for serving a hot dinner plate). Pass pepper, cornichons and pickled onions separately.

Notes

It is important to respect the water to salt ratio to get the desired residual salt on the potatoes.
You can substitute any waxy, baby potato you want to. Fingerling potatoes are another good choice. There is no need to peel baby potatoes since the skins are so thin. If you can't find baby potatoes look for a medum size yellow or red potato and quarter them after cooking. For Salt Potatoes to work they should not be peeled.
There are 2 main types of Raclette cheese. The Swiss variety is more pungent (very strong aromas linger after) but still tastes nutty and mild. French raclette is less pungent than the Swiss and is similar but slightly softer in flavour. Canadian or American raclettes tend to be milder yet.
The condiments in the recipe are the traditional ones. You can substitute other pickled vegetables if you like. The pickled aspect is meant to provide some contrast to the mild cheese.

Wine Pairing

A nutty Chardonnay (oaked) or a Pinot Noir are best choices for white and red.

An aged Riesling or an Alsation Pinot Gris would work as well.

For red a Gamay or Beaujolais is another option.

Cheese will soften any wine so if you are not intent on enhancing the nuttiness of the Raclette then choose your favourite wine.

Nutrition