Raclette is cheaper way to entertain

Take eight convivial friends and a hefty hunk of strong cheese, not to mention several bottles of wine, and you have the makings for a memorable party -- a fairly thrifty one, at that. The people and the cheese made this recent gathering at our home a truly interactive dinner. The cheese -- a quarter-wheel of French raclette -- provided both a hearty meal and a topic of conversation.

Raclette (the name for both the cheese and the party) is a festive and common winter dish in France and Switzerland, where many people, including our daughter who lives in France, own their own special machines to melt the cheese. Some machines, which have a grill on top, let individuals melt their own slices of raclette in separate compartments beneath the grill.

However, the electric machine that we rented from Surdyk's for the evening more closely replicated the original Alpine method of melting a big piece of the cheese in a fireplace. It also provided an excellent focal point for the dinner, kind of like an edible centerpiece.

Instructions for its easy assembly came with the machine. It has a long, angular metal arm containing a heating element that lines up parallel with one side of the cheese, which was impaled on a holder, which in turn fit on a metal platform.

Here's the method: The heater quickly melts the cheese, the guests hand over their plates, the machine operator swings the cheese away from the heat, and the hot, bubbling cheese is scraped onto the plate with a serrated knife.

Voila -- another satisfied customer. Bowls of the traditional accompaniments -- boiled potatoes, little pickled onions, the tiny sour pickles called cornichons, and often ham or sausages -- are passed around and the wine is poured.

You would be surprised how much fun it was to wait for the cheese to melt and listen to it sizzle. My husband and I manned and womaned the machine, and the others passed the time until it was their turn again by laughing and joking, singing a couple of choruses to a German drinking song and telling stories. When everyone had had enough, there was still cheese left. We could have invited at least two more guests.

Cheese -- French, Swiss or domestic raclette -- can be ordered at the same time. Rental for the machine is $10 per day, with a $50 deposit required (refunded when the machine is returned). A quarter-wheel of French raclette costs a little more than $30. Cornichons can be purchased at Surdyk's, but I also found them at the Seward Co-op. Figure on two or three potatoes per person. We also served baguette slices, as the cheese is delicious with bread, too.

While this is not a thrifty meal, given the cost of the cheese, it is still a fairly economical party dish. Cooks of Crocus Hill (877 Grand Av., St. Paul, and Kitchen Window, 3001 Hennepin Av. S., Minneapolis) both stock the machines with individual compartments. They are available on the Internet, as well.