The symbolic dish of Friulian cuisine
If there is one dish that represents the cuisine of Friuli, it is frico, a simple, hearty dish born in the peasant and mountain culture of the region, especially in Carnia, as a way of using up the rinds and leftovers of cheese. Its main ingredient is Montasio, a cow's milk cheese DOP produced in Friuli and the eastern Veneto since the thirteenth century, when it was made by the monks of the abbey of Moggio, not far from the Montasio massif that gives it its name. There are two main versions of frico. The frico croccante, crispy frico, is made by melting grated or thinly sliced cheese in a pan until it forms a thin, golden and crunchy wafer, which is eaten as an appetiser or used as a basket for other dishes.
The frico morbido, or frico with potatoes, the most traditional, is made by cooking potatoes, often with onions, in a pan with butter or lard, then adding pieces of Montasio of different ages and cooking slowly until the cheese melts and forms, with the potatoes, a sort of thick round cake, golden and crispy on the outside and soft and stringy inside. It is traditionally served hot, with a slice of polenta, and accompanied by a glass of red wine, such as a Refosco, or a white Friulano. In Friuli, frico is eaten everywhere, in osterie, agriturismi and family kitchens, and there are many local variations, with apples, speck or herbs. In the "frasche" and the festivals of the region, it is often the star of the menu.
Tip: order frico with polenta in a traditional osteria; buy a piece of aged Montasio to take home.
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