When the first cold night hits Toronto, there's only one correct dinner: a pile of melted cheese scraped over hot potatoes.
That's raclette, and it might be the most fun you can have at a dinner table.
The short answer
About 200 grams of raclette a person, small boiled potatoes, cornichons, cured meat and a crisp white. No machine? Melt slices under the broiler for two to three minutes.
So what is raclette?
Raclette is both a cheese and a meal. The name comes from the French word for scrape.
A big wedge is heated until the top melts, then scraped onto a plate of potatoes, pickles and cured meats. It's from the Alps, it's very social, and it's very hard to be in a bad mood while doing it.
The cheese
You want something that melts smooth and stretchy without going greasy.
Plan on about 200 grams a person for a main meal. Yes, really. It's raclette night.
Want to mix it up? Cave-Aged Gruyere melts beautifully too, and a little of each on the same plate is a treat.
The sides
Potatoes: small waxy ones, boiled in their skins and kept warm under a tea towel.
Pickles: cornichons and pickled onions. The acid cuts the richness. Non-negotiable.
Cured meat: prosciutto or any thin-sliced charcuterie.
Bread: a crusty loaf for scraping the plate clean.
No raclette machine? No problem
The oven: lay slices on small oven-safe dishes or a parchment-lined tray. Broil two to three minutes until bubbling, then slide straight onto the potatoes.
The pan: melt slices in a non-stick pan over low heat with the lid on, then pour over everything.
What to drink
A crisp, dry white is the classic, and for good reason. It cleans up all that cheese between bites.
Light reds work too. Tell us what you're making and we'll grab you a bottle.
Make it a night
Raclette is best slow. Melt a little, eat, talk, melt a little more.
Plan for two hours at the table and nobody leaving hungry. Come by 614 Gerrard St E and tell us how many you're feeding. We'll cut your cheese and pick the pickles. #AllTheBestStuff