Frico

Ingredients

• For frico croccante
• 300 g Montasio DOP, aged 6+ months, finely grated
• For frico morbido
• 300 g Montasio DOP, young (fresco), finely grated
• 400 g waxy potatoes, boiled, cooled, and grated — not mashed
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 30 g unsalted butter

Method

1. 1
   FRICO CROCCANTE — Set a non-stick pan over medium heat. Spread a thin, even layer of finely grated aged Montasio across the base of the pan. Leave it entirely undisturbed. The cheese will melt, bubble, and render its fat; when the edges begin to brown and the surface takes on a golden, lacework appearance, the base is set.
2. 2
   Slide a spatula beneath the disc — or lift the pan from the heat and leave the frico to cool in place if flipping is impractical — and transfer to a flat surface. While still warm and pliable, drape over a rolling pin to form a curved crisp, or leave flat. Once cool, the disc shatters cleanly under pressure. If it bends without breaking, it has not cooled fully.
3. 3
   FRICO MORBIDO — Combine the grated young Montasio, the grated boiled potato, and the thinly sliced onion in a bowl. Mix until evenly distributed. Melt the butter in a heavy pan over medium heat. Press the cheese-and-potato mixture firmly into the pan in an even layer, compacting it thoroughly. This step decides the dish: insufficient pressing produces a loose, crumbling cake rather than a cohesive pancake with a structured crust, and the interior will never achieve its proper molten character.
4. 4
   Cook over medium heat, without moving the pan, until the underside forms a deep golden crust. Slide the frico onto a plate, invert the pan over it, and flip so the uncooked side returns to the pan. Press again. Cook until the second side is equally golden and the centre, when pressed at the edge, yields with soft resistance — crusted without, molten within.