Setting the raclette table: How to host a festive New Year's Eve dinner party for every taste!

Hosting dinner parties on special occasions, such as B. New Year's Eve, can be an exciting experience. Have a great Raclette New Year's Eve party this year! Raclette is a traditional type of cheese from Switzerland that is melted on a special granite-top grill and then scraped onto bread, potatoes, vegetables or meat. The grill is large enough to heat several small pans where guests can melt cheese while grilling vegetables and other side dishes. How to set your raclette table, check out our suggestions!

A traditional raclette: which types of cheese

Raclette is a centuries-old Swiss dish that was probably invented by shepherds and farmers who, while herding, would take a block of cheese with them to melt and eat around a campfire. Today, many other cheeses made from cow's milk are melted for raclette dishes and served in various combinations, including:

• Cheddar
• County
• Emmental
• Gouda
• Gruyère

What is a raclette grill?

A raclette meal is also possible without a special raclette grill. All you need is a pan or pot to melt the cheese. But a raclette grill is much more efficient for melting cheese and grilling side dishes - not to mention it's much more festive for a partythan a frying pan. Individual portions of cheese are placed in small pans called coupelles, which are heated under a heating element on the lower level of the grill. The top of the grill is usually lined with a grill stone, e.g. B. made of granite, on which you can grill vegetables and other things. There are grills in different sizes that can hold between four and eight pans. It's very easy to use (just plug it in and heat it up) and even easier to clean.

The best thing about a raclette New Year's Eve party is that you don't try to please everyone and cook everyone's favorite dish, but rather you use the grill according to the guests' tastes. Guests can be creative and choose their own toppings (depending on their dietary preferences). Preparing and serving raclette is just as easy to plan as a fondue or tapas party. This is how you can set the raclette table:

• Place freshly cut vegetables and fruits on separate serving platters.
• Line a serving basket or bowl with a napkin and wrap the cooked potatoes in it to keep them warm before serving with the melted cheese.
• Add bowls of other ingredients such as garlic croutons, cocktail onions, and seasonings (such as pesto and sweet spicy mustard).
• Put out a pepper mill, paprika and crushed herbs to season the dishes.
  Lay out skewers on which guests can serve their chosen dishesfor the grill platecan collect.
• Cut the unmelted cheese into pan-sized slices and place them on another serving platter for guests to take to melt.

Tipp:

When melting the raclette, be careful not to overcook it. Otherwise the protein will become grainy and the fat will separate.

Which side dishes are suitable

When you set your raclette table, you can serve other side dishes in addition to vegetables, fruit and garnishes. For example, some guests want to forego the potatoes and therefore provide crusty bread or baguette. Serve a light one as an appetizerSeasonal saladto round off the meal. Place a charcuterie board with cured meats such as prosciutto alongside to complement the cheese.

To prevent vegetables and meat from sticking to the granite plate, brush them with a little butter/olive oil/coconut oil. Use the bowls for the cheese and place some vegetables or meat either in the bowl or on the granite countertop. If the cheese sticks to the raclette shell, you can easily scrape it off with the wooden spatula or a piece of bread. Finish the raclette meal with a slightly sweet fruit sorbet, a platter of fresh fruit or a fruit salad for dessert.

Raclette vegetable suggestions

There are a number of delicious vegetables that you can use to complement raclette. Tasty, healthy and your guests will be impressed!

• Tomatoes
• Cherry tomatoes
• Paprika
• Mushrooms
• Sweetcorn
• eggplant
• Cauliflower
• Onions
• Olive
• Pickles
• Broccoli
• potatoes
• sweet potatoes
• Zucchini
• Jalapenos
• Avocado

Fruit suggestions for your raclette table

Some of us like it sweet and it goes well with the strong flavor of the cheese. You can choose a mix of canned and fresh fruit:

• Pineapple
• Pears
• peach
• Mango
• grapes
• Feige

Which meat to choose for the party

• Uncooked meat: Steaks, sliced ​​chicken breasts, pork tenderloins, or even small uncooked German meatballs or hamburgers. (Make them quite thin, otherwise the meat will take too long to cook.)
• Cooked and cured meat: ham, roast beef, bacon, chorizo, meatballs, salami or turkey schnitzel
• Sausages: Nuremberg sausages, bratwurst, sausages or smoked sausages such as Krakauer, salami or cabanossi.
  (Remember that the cheese only melts over the meat in the pans. If the meat is uncooked, you should grill it in the pans on the plate before using.)

Matching salads and dips

Serve at least one green salad with the raclette. He's not justa light side disha heavy meal, but also serves as a stopgap for those who can't wait for their cheese to bubble.

• Quark-Dips
• Chutney with caramelized onions
• Tzatziki
• Hummus
• Mustard
• Mayonnaise
• Ketchup (for the sausages)

Suitable accompanying drinks

Cheese is known to be very salty, so you should have plenty of drinks ready for your guests. Recommended alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks include:

• dry white wine, e.g. B. Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc, with a certain acidity to preserve the cheese taste
• Swiss rosé wine
• A light, acidic red wine, e.g. B. a Burgundy Pinot Noir or a Cru Beaujolais
• Kirschwasser or kirsch, a clear, colorless brandy (for digestion)
• chilled light beer
• tea, e.g. B. Ginger tea, which stimulates digestion

Simple raclette ideas for New Year's Eve