Frico, Cheesy, Potato and Onion Cake

Frico from the north of Italy, is the ultimate comfort food. Potatoes and onions sauteed until soft then fried with lots of Italian Montasio cheese until it's extra crispy on the outside but soft and gooey on the inside. It's the ultimate treat for colder weather.

Frico is a rich and indulgent recipe from Friuli-Venezia Giulia in the north of Italy. A lot of food in the northern regions are famous for their hearty dishes using lots of cheese and butter and this recipe is no exception.

It's relatively easy to make other than the rather fiddly flipping of it to ensure it's extra crispy on both sides. We call it a cake, but it's not really, it's like a cheesy and soft potato rosti with extra crispy edges which is like eating the best crispy cheese from the top lasagne or potato dauphinoise (if you know, you know).

Traditionally Frico is served alongside crispy fried or grilled polenta and you eat a piece of polenta and frico together. We like to serve it as a snack or light lunch/dinner with a simple salad like arugula and olive oil of course, a glass of red wine won't go amiss either!

See the photo below that shows everything you need to make Frico plus some ingredient notes and substitutions.

• Potatoes – We recommend using red potatoes for this as they don't break up too much during the cooking process.
• Montasio cheese – if you can't find Montasio you could use another good melting cheese with a nutty flavour such as Gruyere, Fontina or Comte.
• Onions – use brown or white.
• Butter and olive oil – traditionally lard is used for frying but we like to use a combination of butter and olive oil.

Step by step photos and instructions

1. Finely slice the onions and set aside then peel and grate the potatoes using a box grater, set those aside separately (photo 1).
2. Melt the butter and oil in a small pan over a medium heat, once hot add the onions and saute them until soft and translucent (about 10 minutes) (photos 2 and 3).

1. Add grated potato and season with a good pinch of salt, cook for 15 minutes on a medium heat until the potato is cook through. Toss and turn the potatoes every so often to ensure even cooking use to wooden spoons for this (photos 4 and 5).

1. Addcubed montasio cheese (or cheese you are using) and mix for a couple of minutes until the cheese is combined and is starting to melt (photos 7 and 8).
2. Once the cheese has started to melt, spread the frico out into an even layer and leave it to cook on one side for about 6-7 mins until golden brown (keep checking it by lifting the edges slightly with a spatula to make sure it doesn't burn) (photo 9).

1. Once browned slide the frico onto a plate and then place the pan upside down on top of the plate and flip it back over into the pan to cook the other side (photos 10-12)
2. Cook for another 6 minutes on the other side until golden brown. Flip onto a plate or board to serve.

Recipe Tips

• Pan sizes – we used a 24cm (9.5 inch) nonstick pan for this recipe although we have also tested it in a 28cm (11 inch) pan which works as well it'll give you a thinner Frico.
• Shallow sided pan – make sure the nonstick pan you use doesn't have high sides or it'll be quite difficult to remove and flip.
• Flipping the Frico – when you flip the frico onto the other side don't worry too much if it doesn't look solid. It'll form back together as the cheese melts.

More comforting Italian recipes to try

Mains

Costoletta alla Valdostana (Stuffed Breaded Veal)

Risotto

Risotto alla Valdostana (Fontina Cheese Risotto)

Fresh Pasta

Pici, Cacio e Pepe (Authentic Recipe)

Bread & Savory Bakes

Brustengo (Umbrian Flatbread)

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

• 1.5 lbs (640g) red potatoes
• 8.8 oz(250g) Montasio cheese ((about 1.5 cups, cubed) see notes*)
• 1 brown or white onion (finely sliced)
• 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt

Equipment

• nonstick pan
• Fish slice or spatula, for flipping

Method

1. Finely slice 1 onion and set aside then peel and grate 640g (1.5 lbs) of potatoes using a box grater, set that aside separately.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small pan over a medium heat, once hot add the onions and saute them until soft and translucent (about 10 minutes).

3. Add the grated potato and season with a good pinch of salt. Cook for about 15 minutes on a medium heat until the potato is just cooked through. Toss and turn the potatoes every so often to ensure even cooking. We like to do this with two wooden spoons as if you're tossing a salad.

4. Add 250g or 8.8oz of the cubed montasio cheese and mix for a couple of minutes until the cheese is combined and is starting to melt.

5. Once the cheese has started to melt, spread the frico out into an even layer and leave it to cook on one side for about 6-7 mins until golden brown (keep checking it by lifting the edges slightly with a spatula to make sure it doesn't burn).

6. Once browned slide the frico onto a plate and then place the pan upside down on top of the plate and flip it back over into the pan to cook the other side (see photos or video for reference).

7. Cook for another 6 minutes on the other side until golden brown. Flip the frico onto a serving board or plate to serve.

Kitchen notes

• Other cheese to use if you can't find Montasio cheese you can use Fontina, Gruyere or Comte as good substitutes.
• Pan size if you don't have a 24cm (9.5 inch) pan you can use a 28cm (11 inch) pan instead or anywhere in between those two sizes. The bigger the pan size the thinner the frico will be.
• Shallow-sided pan make sure the nonstick pan you use doesn't have high sides or it'll be quite difficult to remove and flip.
• Flipping the Frico when you flip the frico onto the other side don't worry too much if it doesn't look solid. It'll form back together as the cheese melts.
• Serving Frico is good served warm while the cheese is still gooey but it's also good once cooled.