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| Clockwise from top: The table set for the Raclette party, my half-eaten Raclette (it was so amazing I forgot to take a photo earlier, sorry!), the Raclette grill, with the yellow coupelles sticking out the middle |
Coucou! – After taking
a little more time out from updating my blog than I should have, I’m back! Since
my last post, I’ve been up to a LOT - from visiting Spain for the first time to
watching a wonderful concert with famous Chinese pianist Lang Lang (and
consequently being interviewed for a television reportage!) and lots of other fun things in between. University has
been keeping me very busy, too (more so than I anticipated to be honest). I
should be receiving the results for my January exams within the next few weeks,
so fingers crossed! I have also been making an effort to speak French and
experience French culture by participating in a language tandem, chatting with
my French flatmates and joining a choir made up of étudiants et jeunes professionnels.
Talking of the choir, last week I was lucky enough to be
invited to a Raclette evening organised by fellow choir members. For those of
you who don’t know, Raclette is a unique concept that originates from the
Swiss/French borders. Today it’s a very popular choice for a dinner party – it
came as quite a surprise when I told people I had never been to a Raclette party before!
The meal is a combination of melted Raclette
cheese, whole boiled potatoes, cured meats, gherkins, tomatoes and sliced
peppers. The meats and peppers are grilled on top of the Raclette grill, whilst
the cheese is melted in individual mini pans (coupelles) under the grill top. When the cheese is ready, you scrape
off (racler) the melted part onto the
potatoes. As we were such a large party we made good use of several Raclette
grills, which sat in the middle of the table, rather like a Fondue pot. The
result: a simple yet very filling meal, with plenty of time to chat whilst
the cheese warmed up!
If you ever get the chance to go to a soirée Raclette, go for it! But don’t get carried away – I get the
feeling that eating Raclette too often would be pas forcement bon pour la santé!
That’s all for now, a plus mes cocottes!
