If you haven't tried Montasio cheese, then let this recipe serve as the perfect introduction. Produced high in the hills of the provinces of Udine, Pordenone, Gorizia, Trieste, and Belluno in Fruili-Venezia Giulia, Montasio dates back to the 13th century.
Montasio, whose name alone is indicative of the mountains, undergoes four ripening stages: Fresco is delicate while Mezzano and Stagionato have are intensely flavor and Stravecchio, the most savory, is nifty for grating. A cow milk's cheese, Montasio earned DOP status in 1986.
This also happens to be the cheese used to make frico, a cheese and potato pancake typical of Friuli that was originally created as a way to use any leftover Montasio cheese rinds.
Here's the recipe by one of our chefs, Walter Pedrazzi. It's excellent fingerfood for an aperitivo, cocktail party, or simply as an appetizer.
Montasio Cheese Millefoglie With Lettuce and Polenta
Serves 6
Skill Level: Easy
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1½ lb. Montasio DOP
1 cup milk
4 oz. polenta flour
3 oz. lettuce
2 oz. fresh cream
4 tsp. walnuts
salt
extra-virgin olive oil
Method:
Cook the polenta flour with milk, a pinch of salt, and 1 Tbsp. olive oil.
Dampen a sheet of baking paper, then wring it out to remove any excess water, and place it on the workspace.
Drizzle the sheet with olive oil and pour the polenta mixture on top. Wrap the polenta in the baking paper, forming the shape of a long salami that’s around 1 ½” in diameter. Let cool, turning it occasionally to prevent it from flattening.
Remove the baking paper. Cut the polenta, which should maintain its cylindrical shape, into slices about ¼” thick, then roast them on a hot plate for 1-2 minutes per side.
Set aside 1½ oz. of Montasio, cut the remaining into thin slices (around ¾ oz. each), shaping them into squares with a similar size to the polenta discs.
Peel then chop the lettuce.
Blend the nuts with around 3 Tbsp. oil.
Make 12 Millefoglie:
Start with a polenta disc, then add alternating slices of cheese and lettuce, letting them overlap. In between layers, season with the walnut oil and finish by topping with a polenta disc.
Melt the remaining Montasio in a saucepan. Cut it into small pieces, mix with the walnut oil and fresh cream, then drizzle it over the millefoglie.
Garnish to taste with a few walnuts and serve immediately.\
Photo: Riccardo Lettieri, Styling: Beatrice Prada
\