Which charcuterie for a raclette? Our selection and the quantities

The cheese is melting, the potatoes are steaming, and the question drops: which charcuterie for a raclette? Supermarket cooked ham and rosette do the job, but with a few well-chosen dry-cured meats, raclette moves up a league. Here's our selection and the quantities.

The 5 cured meats that work best

1. Dry-cured ham, the essential. Auvergne PGI ham for mildness, Serrano for character. Thinly sliced, it melts under the hot cheese.
2. Saucisson sec or dry sausage: the bite that contrasts with the melt.
3. Chorizo: mild for everyone, spicy to wake up the table. A few slices on the potato before the cheese, and the paprika infuses.
4. Lomo: lean and fragrant, it lightens a meal with a reputation for heaviness.
5. Catalan fuet: fine and mild, perfect for children and for nibbling while it melts.

If you want to stay classic, add cooked ham and Grisons dried beef. But it's the dry-cured meats that make the difference.

How much charcuterie for a raclette?

Allow 150 to 200 g of charcuterie per person, with 200 to 250 g of cheese and 300 g of potatoes. For 6 people, plan about 1 kg of charcuterie, for example:

• 300 g of sliced dry-cured ham,
• 1 saucisson or 1 dry sausage (300 g),
• 1 chorizo (280 g),
• 1 fuet (160 g).

Unsure about the proportions? All our benchmarks are in how much charcuterie per person.

How to serve it

• Take the charcuterie out 30 minutes beforehand so it's at room temperature.
• Slice thin: ham and lomo almost transparent, saucisson and chorizo in 2 to 3 mm rounds.
• Arrange each cured meat separately on a large board, so everyone builds their own plate.
• Provide gherkins and pickled onions: the acidity cuts through the fat.

Which cheese and which wine?

A plain raclette cheese, a smoked one and why not a Morbier or a Reblochon for variety. For wine, a Savoie white (Apremont, Chignin) or a light red (Gamay, Pinot noir) served chilled. All our pairings are in which wine with charcuterie.

Mistakes to avoid

• Too much fatty charcuterie: raclette is already rich, so mix lean (lomo, dry-cured ham) with fattier (saucisson, chorizo).
• Slices that are too thick: they stay cold and rubbery under the cheese.
• Slicing everything the day before: charcuterie dries out quickly. Slice on the day.

Frequently asked questions

Can you heat the charcuterie in the pan?
Chorizo, yes: a few seconds under the cheese and it releases its paprika. Dry-cured ham and lomo are better eaten cold, laid on the hot cheese.

How many kinds of charcuterie to plan?
3 to 5 are enough. Beyond that, you can't taste anything.

What to do with leftovers?
Saucisson and fuet keep chilled in a tea towel. Cover cut ham and lomo and eat within the week.

For a hassle-free raclette, the XXL Conviviale Box brings together saucisson, award-winning dry sausage, chorizo, fuets and a quarter of Serrano ham: enough to treat 8 to 10 people.