In short: Raclette sushi swaps the rice for firm mashed potato, rolls ham, chorizo, salami and mushrooms inside, then tops each piece with a slice of raclette melted with a kitchen torch. Every raclette ingredient, in bite-sized pieces you eat with chopsticks.
Chef’s tip
Don’t tell anyone in Tokyo, but this raclette sushi has one real strength: you can pass it around as an appetizer without getting the grill out, and it gets the whole table talking. The idea comes from Aliyah, a sushi chef in Bordeaux, who had the nerve to roll a raclette in a bamboo mat.
The only trap is the mash: it must be firm and barely warm, or the roll collapses. No milk, just a little butter, and let it cool. For the cheese, a raw-milk raclette melts more beautifully under the flame and has far more flavour than the cheapest one on the shelf.
The video that started it all
Aliyah (@aliyahsushi), a sushi chef in Bordeaux, posted this version on 10 November 2025. We turned it into a step-by-step recipe, with our own quantities.
Video: @aliyahsushi on TikTok
| Prep time | 30 min |
|---|---|
| Cook time | 30 min |
| Total | 1 h 15 (incl. 15 min chilling) |
| Servings | 4 people (adjustable) |
| Difficulty | Medium |
Ingredients (for 4 people)
- 1,2 kg waxy potatoes (baby potatoes or Charlotte)
- 30 g butter
- 250 g button mushrooms
- 120 g cooked ham
- 80 g thinly sliced chorizo
- 80 g thinly sliced dry-cured salami
- 300 g sliced raclette cheese
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- 2 tablespoons of crispy fried onions
- ½ bunch of chives
- Salt and pepper
- Equipment: a bamboo sushi mat, cling film and a kitchen torch (or the grill of your raclette machine)
Preparation
- Cook the potatoes. Boil the potatoes in their skins in salted water for 20 to 25 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Drain and let them cool a little.
- Make a firm mash. Peel the potatoes and mash them with the butter, salt and pepper, without milk. Let it cool: a firm, lukewarm mash rolls far better.
- Fry the mushrooms. Slice the mushrooms and brown them for 5 to 6 minutes in the oil over high heat, so they lose their water. Season at the end.
- Spread the mash. Cover the bamboo mat with cling film. Spread half the mash in an even 1 cm layer, leaving 2 cm free along the top edge.
- Add the filling. Lay a line of ham, chorizo, salami and mushrooms near the bottom edge. Don’t overfill it, or the roll won’t close.
- Roll the maki. Roll tightly with the mat, as for a real maki, peeling back the film as you go. Repeat with the rest, then chill the rolls for 15 minutes so they hold their shape.
- Melt the raclette. Cut each roll into 8 pieces with a wet knife. Arrange them on a plate, top each with a piece of raclette and melt it with the torch, or for 2 minutes under the grill of the raclette machine.
- Serve. Sprinkle with fried onions and snipped chives. Shape a few nigiri from leftover mash, top them with a slice of cured meat and dip them in melted raclette. Serve with chopsticks.
Chef’s tips
- Wet the knife between cuts: the pieces stay neat.
- Warm mash sticks to the mat and sags. Be patient, that’s the secret.
- No torch? Put the pieces in the raclette pans, cheese on top: it melts in 2 minutes.
- Make the rolls in the morning, keep them chilled and only melt the raclette when you serve.
Variations
- Vegetarian: swap the cured meats for grilled peppers and caramelised onions.
- Mountain style: air-dried Grisons beef and sliced gherkins inside the roll.
- Smoky: smoked raclette on top and a few crispy lardons inside.
Which wine to serve?
A crisp Savoie white such as Roussette, or a Fendant from Valais, cuts through the melted cheese. On the Japanese side, a cold green tea works very well too.
Frequently asked questions
Is raclette sushi eaten hot?
Warm: the mash is cool and the raclette just melted. That contrast is what makes each bite.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes, the rolls keep for a few hours in the fridge, well wrapped. Slice them and melt the cheese at the last minute.
Which potatoes should I use?
Waxy potatoes such as baby potatoes or Charlotte: their mash holds together better than floury ones.
🧀 The right grill: No torch? The grill of a raclette machine melts the cheese on the pieces in 2 minutes: the best raclette grills, our comparison.
Read also: Raclette tacos, the French tacos recipe.
