Frico

5 from 1 vote

Frico, from the north of Italy, is the ultimate comfort food. Potatoes and onions sauteed until soft then fried with lots of Italian Montasio cheese until it's extra crispy on the outside but soft and gooey on the inside. It's the ultimate treat for colder weather.

Prep Time10

Cook Time37

Total Time47

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Author: Emily Wyper

Equipment

24cm (9.5 inch) nonstick pan (see notes)
Fish slice or spatula, for flipping

Ingredients

1.5 lbs (640g) red potatoes
8.8 oz(250g) Montasio cheese (about 1.5 cups, cubed) see notes*
1 brown or white onion finely sliced
1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt

Instructions

Finely slice 1 onion and set aside then peel and grate 640g (1.5 lbs) of potatoes using a box grater, set that aside separately.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small pan over a medium heat, once hot add the onions and saute them until soft and translucent (about 10 minutes).
Add the grated potato and season with a good pinch of salt. Cook for about 15 minutes on a medium heat until the potato is just cooked through. Toss and turn the potatoes every so often to ensure even cooking. I like to do this with two wooden spoons as if you're tossing a salad.
Add 250g or 8.8oz of the cubed montasio cheese and mix for a couple of minutes until the cheese is combined and is starting to melt.
Once the cheese has started to melt, spread the frico out into an even layer and leave it to cook on one side for about 6-7 mins until golden brown (keep checking it by lifting the edges slightly with a spatula to make sure it doesn’t burn).
Once browned slide the frico onto a plate and then place the pan upside down on top of the plate and flip it back over into the pan to cook the other side (see photos or video for reference).
Cook for another 6 minutes on the other side until golden brown. Flip the frico onto a serving board or plate to serve.

Video

Notes

Other cheese to use - if you can’t find Montasio cheese you can use Fontina, Gruyere or Comte as good substitutes.
Pan size - if you don't have a 24cm (9.5 inch) pan you can use a 28cm (11 inch) pan instead or anywhere in between those two sizes. The bigger the pan size the thinner the frico will be.
Shallow-sided pan - make sure the nonstick pan you use doesn't have really high sides or it'll be quite difficult to remove and flip.
Flipping the Frico - when you flip the frico onto the other side don't worry too much if it doesn't look perfect. It'll form back together as the cheese melts.
Serving - Frico is delicious served warm while the cheese is still gooey but it's also delicious once cooled.

Nutrition