Frico

You simply cannot talk about food in Friuli without talking about frico . . . beautiful, decadent, frico. We even saw t-shirts in Udine that said “Make frico not war.” And yes, one taste of any of the many versions of this dish of pan fried montasio cheese, and you would have to agree that the world would be a much more peaceful place if everyone could sit down with this delicacy and get lost in its simple perfection.

At its simplicist, frico is finely shredded montasio or piave chese pan fried into a crispy, lacey tuille. Other versions mix the montasio with potatoes and sometimes onions to make a cheesey pancake, crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside. We grew up calling that gorgeous version “Nonna’s potatoes” and my brother Paul has perfected it and often serves it in his home, no doubt with a toast to our Nonna, Adrianna.

Today, I made the simple montasio crisp version to go along with a late summer salad fresh out of the garden.

I did my first batch in a dry, non-stick pan on the stovetop. They are finicky and I found I could only do one at a time so I tried a batch in the oven and they worked well.

Frico

Arrange the shredded montasio, about 1 tablespoon at a time, in circles on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space for spreading between each circle. Bake for about 4 minutes in  pre-heated, 400-degree oven, watching constantly for that golden colour. 

Late Summer Salad

A few fresh things from the garden, a knob of fresh cheese, a drizzle of olive oil . . . this is my favourite way to eat. An assortment of delicate, flavourful bites that are all fresh and simple and mostly home-grown.

Tonight, I tossed some fresh arugula, tomatoes, some thin slices of zucchini, celery leaves, fresh parsley and basil – all straight out of the garden – onto a plate. I tore up some fresh mozzarella and dressed everything generously with extra virgin olive oil, a little red wine vinegar and lemon juice, some sea salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Add some frico and prosciutto and it makes a perfect meal.

We sat on the back deck, drinking glasses of cold white wine and savouring these little plates of late-summer lusciousness.