Found during my family’s holiday travel to Tuscany, this recipe makes great use of a household staple living beyond its freshest of days; stale bread. The end result? A delicious dish that will warm the belly. And the heart.
This recipe was inspired by Gabriella’s Journal; a book celebrating aromas and flavors from the rustic culture of Tuscany.
Foodie Tip:
❤If you don’t have any 2-3 day old stale bread, you can cut fresh bread into bite-sized squares and place into your oven and bake at 225°F until crunchy. Do not use soft bread for this recipe!
Ingredients:
6 Tablespoons | Olive Oil
2-3 | Garlic Cloves, Cut Into Small Pieces
1 | Celery Stick, Chopped Into Small Pieces
3-4 (1 ¾ cups) | Fresh Tomatoes, Chopped (tomatoes may also be peeled)
6-8 | Basil Leaves, Torn By Hand Into Small Pieces
To Taste | Salt And Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
2 ¼ Cups | Boiling Water
1 ½-2 Cups | Stale Bread, Cut Into Bite-Sized Squares
To Garnish | A Fresh Basil Leaf For Each Serving
To Garnish | Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, Shredded
Directions:
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the oil, the garlic cloves and the chopped celery. Stir until the garlic is soft and add the chopped tomatoes, the basil leaves, salt and pepper. Cook over a low heat for 15 minutes.
2. Pour in the boiling water and fold-in the stale bread. Boil, covered, for about 40 minutes over a very low heat, gently stirring occasionally.
3. Serve soup hot in a bowl and top with a basil leaf and some shredded parmigiano-reggiano cheese.
“Raclette” is derived from the French word for racler, meaning “to scrape.” Modern day raclette refers to a classic Swiss dish where cheese is melted under an electric broiler then scraped and topped on a wide variety of ingredients, traditionally roasted potatoes, cornichons (tiny pickles) and onions. My raclette machine has a granite top that – when heated – serves as a grill plus it has 8 removable toaster trays that rest under a broiler to cook the accompaniments, like melted cheese. Check out my suggested ingredients below!
Raclette In Action
Going out on the town is always fun, but hosting small gatherings in your own home served with a stylish and unforgettable presentation of food makes for priceless memories and great times – that’s why entertaining is one of my passions! We love inviting friends and family over to enjoy fun and unique dining experiences enjoyed at home. Our raclette machine is always a big hit as the centerpiece of many fun indoor grilling gatherings.
Let’s watch a brief video of the racelette experience:
Why Raclette Will Make You A Hero
Like fondue, raclette is best enjoyed as a social eating experience. We like to jazz things up and make a big spread of all kinds of veggies, meats and seafood so our guests can get creative … and they do! The culinary combinations are entertaining, endless and delicious.
Sidekicks: Butter, Olive Oil, Pesto, Olives, Bread, Mini Fillo Shells, Seasonings, Wine + Your Favorite Friends And Family
From sweet to savory – once you’ve gathered your ingredients let your inner foodie’s creativity guide your meal: Melted cheese and onion topped on prosciutto, apples with gooey cheese on top, grilled shrimp with bacon, and one self-proclaimed masterpiece we created called “bananas fauxster” – sliced bananas sprinkled with brown sugar, butter, Texas pecans and then toasted. The recipe for this sweet delight is below!
A Few More Raclette Tips
Since you cook-as-you-go when you raclette, it’s usually a fun process that can easily last an hour to several. We like to start with veggies and savory meats … take a break then have a delightful dismount with the sweets.
Mini Fillo/Phyllo Shells were one of my favorite unexpected discoveries. You can find them here in Austin in the freezer section at HEB. They require no defrosting; simply fill the cups with your favorite ingredients and toast them for a few minutes and you’ve made crispy, melty magic. One of my fillo favorites is to pour a bit of Fischer & Wieser Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce into the cup then top with a wedge of melting cheese. Place your dish in your toaster tray under the raclette grill’s lower level. When it toasts up, it’s a-ma-zing!
You’ll undoubtedly have leftover ingredients after the big meal. We tossed small potatoes, onions and veggies into our silicon egg rings, topped with eggs and cheese and made some delicious “omelettes raclette” – you can do this on the raclette itself or on stovetop (see pic below).
So now on to the “Bananas Fauxster” recipe! With origins to the 1950s in what has become a famed French Quarter restaurant “Brennans” Bananas Foster is a delicious ending to any fantastic meal. My raclette version (a.k.a. “fauxster”) adapts the original recipe for the raclette and it incorporates two of my favorite Texas ingredients: Texas Pecans and Pecan Street Rum, which is distilled outside Austin in Pflugerville. Step 1: Place sliced bananas in your raclette tray and top with pieces of butter, some brown sugar and a sprinkling of chopped Texas pecans and a splash of the Pecan Street Rum. Place the grilling tray to the lower level of your raclette and let it toast-up 2-3 minutes or until bubbly brown.
Step 2: Transfer the bubbly banana mixture to a bowl or serve inside a fillo shell. You can also accompany the dessert alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra decadent treat.
Ready To Raclette, Right ?!
If you’d like some suggestions for where to score your very own raclette magic, try these retailers:
If you’re looking for a creative way to make use of those Thanksgiving leftovers consider this mini turkey cornucopia recipe.
You can stuff these horns o’ plenty with almost anything your appetite desires!
Tips:
Don’t overcook the bread; it’s best served fresh from the oven. We found that Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations Seamless Dough Sheets cut into long ¼” – ½” strips work well. The number of cornucopias you can yield from your bread recipe will depend on your wrapping technique.
We bought the paper drinking cups at our local HEB but if you’re cupless you can shape your foil cornucopia liner entirely by hand. It will take a little more foil, time and patience but totally doable in a pinch.
A Few Pieces | Nonstick Aluminum Foil
6-10 Small | Paper Drinking Cups
A Few Squirts | Cooking Spray
Your Favorite | Croissants, Puff Pastry Or Bread Recipe
1 | Cage Free Egg, Beaten
2 Tablespoons | Water
1 | Pastry Brush
To Stuff And Serve | Your Favorite Thanksgiving Fixings (turkey, bacon, lettuce, cheese, tomato, pickle, dressing, mayonnaise, mustard, gravy, etc.)
What To Do:
1. To form the cornucopia, wrap a small piece of foil around a small paper drinking cup. Tuck foil around the rim of the cup and shape the end of the foil into a curvy tail as shown below. Spray the foil on the cornucopia with the cooking spray.
2. Using long strips of your dough start at the small end of the foil cornucopia form and closely wrap the dough around the form from tail to top, leaving no foil exposed. You can connect strips of the dough together by brushing a bit of beaten egg to the ends of the dough when forming. Set aside on a greased cooking sheet.
3. Continue wrapping the cornucopia forms with the dough. When all the cornucopias are complete make an egg wash by adding 2 tablespoons of water to your remaining egg. Brush each cornucopia with the wash using the pastry brush and return it to the cookie sheet.
4. Bake the cornucopias according to the dough-baking instructions. Remove from oven and cool. Free the bread cornucopia from the foil base by gently wiggling the cup from the dough – bend/crush the cup if necessary and discard the cup and foil.
5. Let your guests build their own cornucopias to their preference “Subway sandwich style” or you can make them in advance. Have fun with your stuffings – there are lots of possibilities!
Serves 4-6 hungry folks.
Gobble ’till you wobble and make it a great Thanksgiving!
~ Joe Paul Reider
Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.
1. Cook the strips of bacon in a pan over medium heat until browned, but not crunchy-crispy. Transfer bacon to a plate topped with paper towels to drain and cool.
2. Spray 6 wells of a muffin tin with non stick cooking spray. Take a piece of bacon and wrap around the side of each muffin well. Cut the remaining two pieces of bacon into thirds and place each piece in the bottom of the muffin well to form the bottom of the bacon cup.
3. Crack one egg into each cup. Top each with a sprinkle of cheese, thyme, parsley and the black pepper.
4. Bake until set (about 10-12 minutes). If all goes well the egg will be slightly runny when you cut into it!
Yields: 6 Servings
Food Tips:
Use your choice(s) of cheese. I’m partial to cheddar, but pepper jack and goat cheese are favorites, too! Sweet and savory make great breakfast buddies for this dish ~ Serve with a side of fresh fruits (grapes, pineapple and melon). Nobody leaves hungry!
~ Joe Paul Reider
Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.
Home Style Austin 