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1
Melt the butter in a heavy-based frying pan (24–26 cm) over low heat. Add the sliced onions, and the caraway seeds if using, and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the onions are completely soft and without colour — they must offer no resistance when pressed against the side of the pan.
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2
Add the thinly sliced potatoes in an even layer. Cook over medium-low heat, turning occasionally, until the slices are soft and slightly translucent at the edges. They must be fully cooked through at this stage; undercooked potato will not integrate with the cheese.
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3
Scatter the grated young and aged Montasio evenly over the potato and onion mixture. Stir to combine, then press the entire mass down firmly with a spatula into a compact, even cake. This is where the dish lives or dies: insufficient pressure at this stage means the mass will not cohere, and the inversion will fail.
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4
Cook over medium heat, pressing down periodically, without disturbing the base. Lift one edge carefully with a spatula: the base is ready when it is deep golden and releases cleanly from the pan.
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5
Place a large flat plate — slightly wider than the pan — over the pan. Flip the pan quickly and decisively in a single movement to invert the frico onto the plate, then slide it back into the pan, uncooked side down. Press down again to maintain the cake's shape.
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6
Cook the second side over medium heat until it too is golden and releases cleanly. The frico morbido is done when both faces are crunchy and golden and the interior, probed at the centre with the tip of a knife, yields softly. Serve immediately from the pan.