P
Italian · Friuli
Frico Friulano — Crispy Cheese and Potato Cake
Frico is the defining preparation of the Friulano kitchen — a flat cake made from Montasio cheese (and usually potato) melted and crisped in a pan until both sides are golden and the cheese is caramelised at the edges. There are two versions: frico morbido (soft frico, with potato and sometimes onion, served warm and yielding) and frico croccante (crispy frico, made with aged Montasio only, melted to a thin crisp). Both begin with Montasio DOP — the semi-aged and aged cheese of the Friulano foothills and plains whose flavour ranges from milky and delicate (young) to sharp and granular (aged). The preparation dates to the 15th century in Friulano sources and is the most ancient surviving Friulano recipe.
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I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
For the frico morbido
300 g
Montasio DOP
semi-aged, 6–12 months, coarsely grated
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
400 g
1 medium
onion
thinly sliced
Your own market
30 g
unsalted butter or lard
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the frico croccante (alternative)
150 g
Montasio DOP
very aged, 12+ months, finely grated
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.
II
The Method
1
Melt the butter or lard in a heavy, flat-based pan over medium-low heat. Add the thinly sliced onion and cook gently until completely softened and translucent — no colour. Add the cooked, grated potato and stir to combine; the mixture should be cohesive and tender throughout.
2
Add the coarsely grated semi-aged Montasio to the pan. Fold the cheese through the potato and onion until incorporated. Press the mixture firmly into a flat, even cake against the base of the pan — uniform thickness throughout. An uneven cake will not crisp uniformly.
3
Cook over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes undisturbed. This step decides the dish: the heat must remain medium-low — too high and the exterior burns before the cheese binds and the interior yields. The frico is ready to flip when the underside is crispy and deep golden and the Montasio at the edges has begun to caramelise; test by lifting an edge with a spatula.
4
Place a flat plate larger than the pan face-down over the pan. In one motion, invert the pan so the frico drops onto the plate golden-side up. Slide the frico back into the pan, uncooked-side down. Cook a further 8–10 minutes over medium-low heat until the second side is equally crispy and golden. The finished cake should feel firm at the edges and yielding at the centre when pressed lightly.
5
For frico croccante: spread finely grated aged Montasio (12+ months) in a thin, even layer in a dry non-stick pan over medium-low heat. When the cheese melts and begins to bubble and the first side is firm and golden, flip once using a spatula. Complete the second side until golden. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely — the wafer crisps fully only as it cools, and should snap clean when broken.
From the canon — Frico croccante is one of the simplest and most technically satisfying things a cook can make: grated aged Montasio cheese spread thin in a dry non-stick pan… Frico Croccante — Crispy Montasio Wafer →
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Montasio DOP sourced specifically from the Carnian Alps or the Friulano hills — the geographic reference for the preparation. Semi-aged (6–12 months) for morbido; 12+ months for croccante. Rendered lard in place of butter.
02
Estate — Montasio DOP of verified origin, purchased from a specialist Italian cheesemonger with clear ageing documentation. Farm butter from the region, or a high-quality Italian cultured butter.
03
Market — Montasio DOP available through a good Italian delicatessen — DOP status confirmed on the rind. Standard unsalted butter. Waxy, well-cooked potatoes with no excess moisture.
04
House — Any Montasio bearing the DOP mark, regardless of provenance detail. The DOP designation is the floor below which frico loses its identity; substituting another alpine cheese produces a different preparation entirely.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Sight. The edge of the cake shows caramelised, amber-golden Montasio and the underside, when lifted, is uniformly deep gold — no pale patches.
◇Smell. A nutty, browned-cheese aroma rises from the pan; no sharp or acrid note, which would indicate excessive heat.
◇Touch. The edges of the finished morbido feel firm and set; the centre yields slightly under a gentle press — soft inside, rigid at the crust.
◇Sound. The cooled frico croccante snaps with a clean, dry crack when broken — a dull bend indicates insufficient crisping or residual moisture.
◇Where it lives or dies. The heat must hold at medium-low throughout the first side: too high and the exterior chars before the Montasio binds the potato into a yielding, cohesive cake.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Sparkling wine
From British Columbia
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Without alcohol
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The whole pairingPillar VII
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