With Montasio from Friuli Venezia Giulia. Frico Friabile

Montasio was first made by monks from the milk of cows that graze in the foothills of the Alps. Hundreds of years later, the “recipe” is almost the same. In fact, in 1986, Montasio was awarded protected designation of origin (DOP: refresh your certification expertise here), cementing the production methods. After being brined and salted, Montasio is aged for a minimum of 60 days (and up to more than 18 months), allowing the flavors to intensify over time. We love to compare the tastes of fresh versus aged.

In this simple take on the traditional Friulian Frico, we find a delicate cheese crisp all'italiana. Making the tasty appetizer or snack is a lesson in transforming humble ingredients into something special.

Frico Friabile (Crispy Frico)
Recipe courtesy of Eataly

Yield: 16 crisps

1 cup Montasio cheese (fresh, semi-aged, or aged), grated
Optional additions*

Heat a griddle or cast-iron pan, and sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of the Montasio cheese in a thin circle. Cook until crisp and golden, then flip and cook the other side as well, about 5 minutes in total. Repeat with the remaining cheese.

The disks will be flexible when warm but will crisp as they cool. To get fancy, shape them into tubes or little cups when warm, and they will maintain the shape.

*If desired, flavor the crisps with preferred herbs, minced pancetta, or prosciutto (but they are delicious on their own!).

Buon appetito!