Raclette Cones with Morbier

In short: blind-baked puff pastry cones filled with potatoes, smoked bacon bits and shallot, then gratinéed with Morbier. Allow 50 minutes for 12 crispy cones, perfect for cocktail hour or as a starter.

Chef’s tip

In Savoie, we have a simple rule: when you don’t know what to do, add cheese. These cones are the most elegant proof. You take raclette, put it in a cone as golden as a Sunday croissant, and you get a bite you can eat standing up, glass in hand, without risking a stain on your cousin’s wedding shirt. Well, almost.

Morbier, with its black line through the middle and its supple paste, is a clever choice: it melts without releasing too much fat, so the pastry stays crisp. The only real difficulty in this recipe is wrapping the strips around the molds. The first two cones will be crooked; that’s the law. Eat them in secret and nobody will know.

Ingredients (for 4 people)

• 2 rolls of puff pastry (230 g each)
• 250 g of Morbier
• 300 g of firm-fleshed baby potatoes (grenailles)
• 120 g of smoked bacon bits
• 1 shallot
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon of milk
• 15 g of butter for the molds
• Freshly ground pepper
• 12 stainless steel cone molds

Preparation

1. Prepare the cones. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F). Butter the cone molds. Unroll the puff pastry and cut it into strips 2.5 cm (1 in) wide.
   

   

2. Wrap the pastry. Wind each strip in a spiral around a mold, starting from the tip and overlapping the edges by half a centimeter. Place the cones on a baking sheet, with the end of the strip underneath.
   

   

3. Blind-bake. Brush the cones with egg yolk mixed with milk. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until deep golden. Let cool for 5 minutes, then gently remove the molds.
   

   

4. Cook the potatoes. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes for 15 minutes in gently simmering salted water. Drain them and cut into 1 cm (½ in) dice.
   

   

5. Pan-fry the filling. Fry the bacon bits dry in a pan for 5 minutes, add the sliced shallot and let it soften for 2 minutes. Mix with the diced potatoes and season with pepper.
   

   

6. Fill the cones. Remove the rind from the Morbier and cut it into small cubes. Fill the cones two-thirds full with the filling, then finish with the cheese.
   

   

7. Gratinée and serve. Prop the cones upright in a gratin dish filled with coarse salt, or lay them on the baking sheet, and put them back in a 200 °C (400 °F) oven for 5 to 6 minutes. Serve right away.
   

   

Chef’s tips

• Work with very cold dough: when it’s warm, it sticks to your fingers and tears as you wrap it.
• To keep the cones upright when serving, stand them in a glass filled with coarse salt or dried lentils.
• Take the Morbier out of the refrigerator 30 minutes ahead for an even melt.
• The empty cones can be made the day before: 2 minutes in the oven brings back their crispness.

Variations

• Cured ham version: replace the bacon bits with 80 g of cured ham in strips, added after baking.
• Vegetarian version: 200 g of pan-fried mushrooms and a handful of spinach in place of the bacon bits.
• Raclette version: a raw-milk or smoked raclette cheese instead of the Morbier.

Which wine to serve?

A white wine from the Jura, made in the classic style (topped up, or “ouillé”), goes very well with Morbier, its neighbor from the same terroir. A lively white from Savoie made from jacquère or chasselas works too, with just enough acidity to wake up the palate between two cones.

Frequently asked questions

Can you make the cones without cone molds?

Yes: roll cones from thick aluminum foil, lined with parchment paper, and wrap the dough around them. The result is a little less even but just as good.

Can you freeze the cones?

Empty baked cones can be frozen for a month. Warm them for 5 minutes in a 180 °C (350 °F) oven before filling. Once filled, they don’t freeze well.

What can replace Morbier?

A raclette cheese, a tomme de Savoie or a young Comté. Avoid cheeses that are too dry, as they melt poorly.

Read also: Morbier raclette cones: the melty cocktail-hour recipe