“Very soon the whole cut edge of the cheese, including the rind, blistered and bubbled, and the room filled with a mildly cheesy, nutty, smokey smell. Picking up the cheese and holding it with its toasted surface facing upwards at an angle of 45 degrees away from him, he executed a rather delicate downward movement with a broad-bladed knife that scraped all the melted cheese off on to a tendered hot plate. As I was the guest, I was handed the first plate and told to eat up the raclette while it was still hot. The plate also contained gherkins, hot boiled potatoes and onion salad. When I had finished, my plate was put back in the fireplace to warm up until it was again my turn to be served.”

Peter Graham, Classic Cheese Cookery