In short: starred chefs and raclette are far from an impossible match. A starred chef from Valais co-wrote a book of 52 raclette recipes, the Michelin Guide praised an “airy raclette” in Savoie, a Parisian palace hotel set up a raclette chalet in its courtyard and a three-Michelin-star New York chef published his own recipe. We have only kept verifiable facts, with the sources at the bottom of the page.
And as in any good family, there is also the one who won’t hear of it. We’ll introduce him at the end.
Swiss starred chefs and raclette
Pierre Crepaud: 52 “Haute Raclette” recipes
Former chef of the fine-dining restaurant at the LeCrans Hôtel & Spa in Crans-Montana, Valais, Pierre Crepaud is described by the daily newspaper Le Temps as a “starred chef”. In 2021, he co-wrote the book “Haute Raclette – L’art de la raclette en 52 recettes fondantes” (Éditions Helvetiq) with Jennifer and Arnaud Favre. The idea: start from Valais’s national dish and take it in every direction, all the way to Japan.
The chef takes care of every detail, right down to the potatoes. In Le Temps, for example, he recommends the Roseval: “With its pretty pink skin, this melt-in-the-mouth, slightly sweet variety will brighten up your raclette.” He presents the book in this video:
Lucrèce Lacchio: raclette in potato cushions
Lucrèce Lacchio runs the kitchen at Le Berceau des Sens, the restaurant of the École hôtelière de Lausanne, awarded one star by the Michelin Guide. On the Gault&Millau Switzerland website, she shares a recipe for “Raclette-Kartoffelkissen”: potato cushions filled with raclette. An elegant way to serve melted cheese without the little raclette pans.
Raclette reinvented by French starred chefs
René and Maxime Meilleur: the “airy raclette” of La Bouitte
In Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, in Savoie, father and son Meilleur run La Bouitte, which now holds two Michelin stars. In an article about great mountain restaurants, in December 2023, the Guide described their terroir-rooted cooking with a phrase that makes you dream: “raclette becomes airy” (« La raclette devient aérienne »). Crozets, for their part, are reinvented risotto-style.
Jean-François Rouquette: a raclette chalet in a Parisian palace hotel
Chef of the restaurant Pur’, one Michelin star, at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme, Jean-François Rouquette set up a chalet in the hotel’s courtyard for the winter of 2024-2025. According to Yonder magazine, it served raclette with cheeses selected from Marie Quatrehomme, a Meilleure Ouvrière de France (a prestigious French title for the country’s best craftspeople): sliced, plain, smoked or with wild garlic, plus a cheese from Saint-Niklaus scraped straight from the wheel. The raclette dinner started at €210 per person, drinks not included. Raclette, palace style, in short.
Cyril Lignac: add some Morbier
Before becoming the pastry star of French television, Cyril Lignac earned a Michelin star in 2012 for his restaurant Le Quinzième, now closed. On RTL, in October 2020, he gave his tips for kicking off the raclette season: “As soon as it gets cold, we can’t help thinking about it: raclette makes everyone happy.” His trick: add Morbier to the raclette cheese for a different flavor.
For the cold cuts, he recommends cooked ham, cured country ham and Grisons air-dried beef, served with garlicky pan-fried mushrooms, a green salad and gherkins. His tips on video:
And elsewhere in the world
Daniel Humm: raclette from a three-Michelin-star New York chef
Born in Switzerland, Daniel Humm runs Eleven Madison Park in New York, which holds three Michelin stars. Food Network publishes his recipe “Melted Raclette Cheese with Marble Potatoes and Purslane”: raclette melted over small potatoes, with purslane. Even at the top of New York fine dining, you don’t forget where you come from.
The bonus: a tip from a Meilleur Ouvrier de France
Guillaume Gomez is not a starred chef, but he was named Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2004, at the age of 25, and ran the kitchens of the Élysée Palace for many years. On France Inter, Elle magazine reports, he described a variation he discovered at a restaurant owner’s: adding cauliflower to raclette. “I thought it was very clever and very good,” he says. “It lightens the heaviness of the potatoes a little.” His advice: vary the seasonal vegetables, such as mushrooms or butternut squash.
The odd one out: Emmanuel Renaut, the starred chef who doesn’t serve raclette
Not all great mountain chefs are fans. Emmanuel Renaut, at the helm of Flocons de Sel in Megève, which holds three Michelin stars, champions a light style of mountain cuisine. In 2017, in an interview conducted in English, he told Belles Demeures magazine that his clients do not come to his restaurant to eat raclette or cheese fondue. Message received, chef: we’ll keep raclette for home.
Starred chefs and raclette: your questions
Which starred chef wrote a book about raclette?
Pierre Crepaud, described as a starred chef by Le Temps, co-wrote the book “Haute Raclette – L’art de la raclette en 52 recettes fondantes” (Éditions Helvetiq) with Jennifer and Arnaud Favre in 2021.
What is Cyril Lignac’s raclette tip?
On RTL, he recommends adding Morbier to the raclette cheese for a more distinctive flavor, and serving garlicky pan-fried mushrooms, a green salad and gherkins.
How can you make raclette lighter, like the chefs do?
Add seasonal vegetables, such as cauliflower, mushrooms or butternut squash, the way Guillaume Gomez does, and plan on about 200 g of cheese per person, no more.
What about you: which chef’s raclette will you try?
Tell us in the comments if you have tasted a great chef’s raclette. To recreate it at home, our guide to choosing your raclette machine and our guide to cheese quantities per person are waiting for you, and our raclette recipes will give you more ideas.
Sources: Le Temps, Haute Raclette (19/12/2021), Gault&Millau Suisse, recette de Lucrèce Lacchio, Guide Michelin, Le Berceau des Sens, Guide Michelin, Tables de montagne (18/12/2023), Guide Michelin, René et Maxime Meilleur, Yonder, Chalet du Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme (25/11/2024), Guide Michelin, Pur’ – Jean-François Rouquette, RTL, Cyril Lignac et la raclette (02/10/2020), Food Network, recette de Daniel Humm (archive 16/07/2024), Guide Michelin, Eleven Madison Park, Elle via Free, Guillaume Gomez (08/01/2026), Belles Demeures, Emmanuel Renaut (28/12/2017), Guide Michelin, Flocons de Sel
