Frico is a dish of Friulian peasant tradition, made of potatoes, onions, and lots of cheese. Originally from Carnia, a region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, where cows are bred to produce the cheese used for this dish, Montasio, which binds together all the ingredients of this kind of toasted pie.
The crust: the essential x factor
One of the characteristics of frico is its crunchy crust, which encloses the soft cheese center. To make it, it’s simple: once all the ingredients have been cooked in a pan, pour in a non-stick pan a tablespoon of oil and then the mixture. Let everything cook for a few minutes over a high heat and the surface will form a golden crust that gives that final touch to your frico.
The secret for a compact frico
Frico can be served as a single dish or become the basis for finger food. In this case it is good that its texture is as homogeneous and compact as possible. To obtain this result all the ingredients need to be broken into pieces so that they blend together nicely and have a regular shape. Then pass both the potatoes and the cheese in a large hole grater. This operation is possible if you use a well matured cheese. Otherwise, you will have to cut it with a knife into small pieces.
The Frico Recipe
Ingredients
1 lb potatoes
1 lb Montasio cheese
2 red or golden onions
salt
extra virgin olive oil
parsley or basil for garnish
Method
First peel the onions. Then cut them into thin slices. Peel the potatoes and remove the crust from the cheese. Grate the potatoes one by one with a large hole grater and then do the same with the cheese. Pour two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a pan and brown the onions for a few minutes. When they are golden brown, add the potatoes, the cheese, salt and mix everything well. Cook for 15 minutes and then turn off. Put a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan, pour the mixture of potatoes and cheese, level it with a spatula and then cook over a high flame for a few minutes on both sides to form the crust. Serve your frico very hot, decorated with a few leaves of basil or parsley, according to your taste.