“Frico” or “Friulian Frico” evokes the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and even some distant memories of the stove fueled by wood that my grandmother Malvina used to cook.

There Frico was made in an iron skillet with cheese and potatoes, or thin and crispy with just cheese. For both dishes the origin embraces the Carnia, all the alpine and pre-alpine Friuli and probably also the hills and the plain. In Canale Resia they use eggs to make the Frico softer and call it “sёr ponöw” or “sёr tu-w pondvё” (the pronunciation is quite a challenge), while beyond the eastern border of Friuli, in Slavonia, “Frico” becomes “Ser ozvart” or simply “Friko”.
In Friuli, there are various festivals dedicated to Frico, such as the one of Canale Resia, of Fraelacco di Tricesimo and of Carpacco.

If your mouth has become watery by listening to the history of Frico, follow me in the kitchen…I have these two simple recipes for you!

Slice of Frico with potatoes

Ingredients:
200 grams of potatoes
200 grams of cheese Montasio medium-aged
Salt
Olive oil

Method:
After peeling the potatoes, cut into thin slices, put in a pan greased with oil and fry shortly. Add the salt, a ladle of water and simmer. Stir every now and then making sure the slices do not stick to the bottom of the pan. When the potatoes are cooked, mash them with a fork and add the diced cheese Montasio. Mix together and let the cheese melt. The flame must be at a minimum, to gradually form a crispy crust and a soft soul on the inside.

Crispy Frico

Ingredients:
200 grams of cheese Montasio of different ages (maximum 6 months)

Method:
Cut the cheese coarsely. Let it warm up slightly a non-stick pan, then cover the bottom with 50 grams of cheese which gradually will dissolve and become crisp. The cooking time is very short, about 1 minute. With a fork lift a corner of the Frico and turn it over to brown it.