The detail that makes this frico is the two Montasios: a young one in cubes for melt and stretch, an aged one grated for flavor and crust. After that, the hardest part is step 5: stop stirring, press the cake flat and leave it alone until the underside turns lacy and releases. Crush the potatoes roughly, too; a little texture keeps it from turning into cheesy mash.
Frico con Patate
Prep 20 min · Cook 45 min · Serves 4 · Difficulty Easy
Method
Melt the butter in a 24 cm nonstick pan and soften the onion over low heat until pale gold, about 8 minutes.
8 min
Add the potatoes and a pinch of salt, cover, and cook gently, turning now and then, until they crush easily against the side, about 20 minutes.
20 min
Crush the potatoes roughly in the pan with the spoon; you want rubble, not puree.
2 min
Add both Montasios and stir until fully melted into the potatoes, then stop stirring entirely and press the cake flat.
5 min
Cook undisturbed over medium-low heat until the underside smells toasty and releases in one piece, 8 to 10 minutes. Flip with a plate and crisp the second side.
18 min
Slide onto a board, rest 3 minutes, and cut in wedges. Black pepper over, polenta alongside if you are hungry like a carnico.
Kitchen notes
Two ages of Montasio. All young and the frico is bland and rubbery; all aged and it turns greasy. Half and half gets both the melt and the flavor.
Let the crust happen. The hardest step is doing nothing. Move the pan, not the cake, and trust the sizzle to tell you when the crust has set.
Frico friabile, the lacy all-cheese wafer, is the same cheese melted alone into a crisp; make a few as a cook’s treat while the cake rests.
