Apr 29 2008
Raclette Lovers Rejoice! (Thanks to…Aldi)
Speaking here as a pommie (don’t switch off yet), Australia can still after over 5 years be a somewhat baffling place - some things just darn confuse me. And right up there amongst others in my book with the strange ‘parking in the direction of travel’ law, having a Bank Holiday for the Queen’s Birthday when not even the English can be bothered to, and the infamous hook turn is Australia’s bizarre Raclette paradox.
Australia produces some great European style cheeses such as Milawas take on brie. Heidi in Tasmania also make a Raclette cheese to give a superb Aussie alternative to the Alpine original. So good is their take on it, Heidi Raclette was Australian Grand Dairy Awards Grand Champion for 2005!
For the uninitiated, Raclette cheese is meant to be eaten melted, grilled under a Raclette machine and poured over a selection of (usually) cold meats and potatoes. Sure you can eat it cold, but that’d be like buying a top Penfolds and using it to make a beef strogonoff - you’d be denying it its true destiny!
And the Raclette paradox? It has been nigh-on IMPOSSIBLE to buy a Raclette machine in the Australian High Street. I know, I searched the place over for ages before giving up.
Myer? Nope. Target / Kmart? Not a chance!
Even the small boutique kitchenware stores around the Melbourne CBD didn’t have any.
Up to now the only practical options have been…
- Order one on the Internet at raclette.com.au for almost $200 (although in researching this peice I see they now do a small machine - only 4 pans - for $100), and hope the mailman doesn’t trash it.
- Beg a French, Swiss, Austrian or Italian relative to buy and mail you one and hope the mailman doesn’t trash it.
- Visit France via a 2 hour plane flight from Brisbane to France…well New Caledonia and buy one there for about $40-$50. Unfortunately the rest of New Cal is so outrageously expensive you’ll probably end up spending the difference on the airport taxi and a Croque Monsieur anyway!
So thank God someone in the High Street has finally stepped up to fill the gap - Aldi (www.aldi.com.au) have imported a shipment of 8-pan machines and are stacking them high and selling them cheap for a limited time for just 40 bucks! So now you can buy one of Australia’s finest cheeses and give it the proper send off - in a traditional Alpine Raclette dinner - prefect!!!