Frico Friulano (Potato and Cheese Cake)

Name: Frico Friulano (Potato and Cheese Cake)
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 600 g waxy or all-purpose potatoes, such as Yukon Gold; 1 medium onion, thinly sliced; 30 g butter; 14 g olive oil; 300 g Montasio, half young and half aged if you can, coarsely grated; 3 g table salt; ¼ tsp black pepper

Also called frico con patate, Friulian potato and cheese cake

A thick, crisp-edged cake of potato, onion and Montasio cheese from Friuli, fried golden on both sides.

Makes: 4 servings

Vegetarian Gluten-free

Ingredients

Scale

Pan sizes, times and temperatures in the method are not scaled.

600 g1⅓ lbwaxy or all-purpose potatoes, such as Yukon Gold
1medium onion, thinly sliced
30 g2 tbspbutter
14 g1 tbspolive oil
300 g10½ ozMontasio, half young and half aged if you can, coarsely grated
3 g½ tsptable salt
¼ tspblack pepper

Method

Cook the potatoes. Peel the potatoes (600 g1⅓ lb) and grate them coarsely, or slice them very thin. Heat the butter (30 g2 tbsp) and olive oil (14 g1 tbsp) in a 10-inch (25 cm) nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium heat. Add the onion (1) and cook until soft and pale gold, about 8 minutes.
Add the potatoes, salt (3 g½ tsp) and pepper (¼ tsp). Cook, stirring and scraping now and then, until the potatoes are completely tender and starting to break down, 15 to 20 minutes. Add a splash of water if they stick.
Add the cheese. Stir in the Montasio (300 g10½ oz) until it melts into the potatoes. Press everything into an even cake.
Crisp the first side. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook without stirring until the bottom is deep golden and crisp and the cake slides when you shake the pan, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour off any excess fat.
Flip. Slide the frico onto a large plate, cover it with the upturned pan, and flip it back into the pan. Cook the second side until deep golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
Rest a few minutes, then cut into wedges and serve hot.

Notes

Other cheeses. For the young Montasio, use Asiago fresco, Fontina or a young Gouda. For the aged Montasio, use Asiago stagionato, Gruyère or Parmigiano. A mix of Fontina and Parmigiano, two to one, comes closest.
Serving. It is traditionally eaten with soft polenta and a green salad.