Frico is Friuli's signature cheese dish—a crispy, golden, lace-like pancake of melted Montasio cheese (and sometimes potatoes and onions) that is simultaneously one of the simplest and most addictive preparations in the Italian repertoire. It exists in two forms: frico croccante (crispy frico), which is nothing more than grated aged Montasio cheese melted in a pan until it forms a thin, shattering crisp—essentially a cheese tuile—and frico morbido (soft frico), which combines younger Montasio with potatoes and sometimes onion into a thick, golden, crusty-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside cake. The crispy version is the more dramatic: grated Montasio is spread in a thin, even layer in a non-stick pan over medium heat, left undisturbed until the cheese melts, bubbles, and the fat renders out, forming a golden, lacework disc. Once the bottom is set and golden, it's flipped (or not—some cooks just remove it when one side is done), cooled, and becomes a shattering, intensely cheesy crisp that is Friuli's answer to bar snacks. The morbido version is more substantial: grated young Montasio is mixed with grated boiled potatoes and thinly sliced onion, pressed into a hot pan with butter, and cooked slowly until a golden crust forms, then flipped and crusted on the other side. The result is a thick pancake that is crispy outside and molten-cheesy inside—comfort food of the highest order. Both versions require Montasio DOP—a semi-hard Alpine cheese from Friuli-Venezia Giulia with a sweet, nutty flavour when young and a sharper, more granular character when aged. The crispy version uses aged Montasio (6+ months) for more flavour; the morbido version uses younger cheese for better melting.
Crispy frico: aged Montasio grated thin, melted in pan until golden and lacy. Soft frico: younger Montasio with potato and onion, fried until crusty outside, melty inside. Use Montasio DOP cheese. Medium heat—patience is key.
For crispy frico, use a non-stick pan and spread the cheese very thin. Don't touch it until the edges start browning. Drape over a rolling pin while warm to create bowl shapes for serving. For morbido, the potatoes should be boiled, cooled, and grated—not mashed. A mix of aged and young Montasio in the morbido version provides both flavour and melt.
Using generic cheese instead of Montasio. Too-high heat (burns before melting). Not letting the cheese fully set before flipping. Using too much cheese for crispy version (thick, not lacy). Not pressing the morbido version firmly enough.
Slow Food Foundation; Lidia Bastianich, Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen