Assiette du Valais

A Splendidly Simple snack

As we toured throughout the canton of Valais, through the Alps, and then in the Zermatt area we depended upon the Assiette du Valais for a light or hearty bite to enjoy on a regular basis.

We loved the earthy flavors of the rye bread, meats and cheeses, accented with a crispy cornichon, and smoothed out with creamy, sweet butter.

An Assiette du Valais is a wonderful way to entertain a crowd. Everyone can make their creation to suit their tastes. The platters can be left at room temperature for hours and you can keep adding to the platter as the food is consumed.

It was interesting seeing the different presentations of this traditional platter, from the most rustic and simple at the Mont Fort hut,

to the extremely clean and modern presentation at Chez Vrony,

and everything in between.

We enjoyed the addition of a slice of pate at the Refuge du Requin while skiing the Vallée Blanche in France.

aquamarine glacier fields

Many platters included what seemed to be a slice of raw bacon. We didn’t quite acquire an appreciation for this offering.

This lovely presentation on a slab of wood, served at a skihutte in the Zermatt area felt very authentic.

We loved the luscious pile of curls of the cured beef at the Restaurant Simplon.

For the opening day of boating season, we brought out a boatload this year and invited many more boaters to stop by. A version of the Assiette du Valais seemed to be the perfect way to start the day.

Triangles of rye bread and sweet butter gave the platter a flavor of Switzerland. To top the rye bread, the boaters had many options: