How to Make Frico – A Slice of Friuli

Frico is a thick pancake of grated potato, onion and Montasio cheese, cooked until the outside turns deep gold and the inside stays soft and yielding. It takes about 40 minutes and costs almost nothing to make.

What is Frico?

Frico is Friuli’s signature dish and is at the heart of Friuli’s humble food story. It comes from the Carnia area, the mountainous area north of Udine that sits in central Friuli. It reflects the region’s impoverished agricultural past. Long winters and challenging terrain meant Friuli’s peasant ancestors had to create dishes from what little they had. It started as a way to use up the scraps left over from cheese production – le strissulis in the local Friulian dialect, meaning the trimmings. Nothing wasted. In the case of Frico, they transformed two staple ingredients – cheese and potatoes – into a rustic delicacy

There is some debate about where exactly frico belongs. Ask a Friulian and they will tell you it is the region’s defining dish. Ask someone from the Carnia itself and they will correct you – frico is Carnic, they will say, not generically Friulian. It’s a distinction they take seriously.

Both positions are understandable. The dish was born in the Carnia’s mountain villages, but it has long since spread across the whole region and onto the menu of virtually every osteria and trattoria in Friuli.

There are two versions and they are quite different. Frico morbido — soft frico — is the one you are making here: potato, onion and cheese cooked together until the outside crisps and the inside stays loose and melting. Frico croccante — crisp frico — is made with cheese alone, fried thin until brittle and shattering. This recipe is the morbido version.

Best Cheese for Frico

Frico is always made from Montasio cheese, a a DOP-protected cow’s milk cheese made in Friuli. It is semi-hard, nutty, and melts beautifully. For frico, Italian cooks typically use a mix of mezzano (medium-aged, around six months) and stagionato (aged, over ten months) — the younger cheese gives melt and creaminess, the older one gives flavour. If you can only find one type, use it.

If Montasio is not available at all, Gruyère or Fontina are the closest substitutes. Both melt cleanly and have enough character to hold the dish together.

Best Potato for Frico

The potato type is important. Italian cooks use red-skinned or yellow-fleshed potatoes — varieties that hold their structure during cooking and don’t release too much water into the pan. A waxy or semi-waxy potato is what you’re after. Charlotte, Desiree, or any red-skinned variety works well. Avoid high-starch floury potatoes — they break down too readily and make the mixture soggy rather than cohesive.

Best Cooking Fat

Extra virgin olive oil is the normal choice in Friulian home kitchens. But the people of Carnia tend to use butter which gives a slightly richer result. Try nothing and see what you prefer.

You can enjoy this versatile dish on its own. Or pair it with charcuterie, vegetables, or a fresh salad. Its crispy texture and savory flavor make it a real treat that showcases the wonderful combination of cheese and potatoes in Friuli cuisine.

Over the years, frico has become a symbol of the region’s culinary identity. It has grown beyond the family table. Much of the region’s food has still not made it outside the home, but frico is proudly served across Friuli and you will see it on the menu of most restaurants thought the region. Make sure you look out for it on your next visit to Friuli.

In the meantime, here is how to make it at home.

Buon appetito! 🇮🇹

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How to Make Frico – A Slice of Friuli

Frico is a signature dish of Italy's north eastern region of Friuli. It is made by cooking potatoes and Montasio cheese until golden and crisp.

Equipment

• Cast Iron Frying Pan
• Large flat plate for flipping
• spatula or wooden spoon

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 250 grams Montasio cheese (grated)
• 250 grams potatoes (peeled and grated)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Instructions 

• Heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan and then cook the onions until soft and golden brown.
• Add the grated potatoes, mix well with the onions then cook for 12-15 minutes until the potatoes are cooked and very soft.
• Add the grated Montasio cheese and mix well until the cheese has melted and is well combined.
• Cook for a further 10-15 minutes, or until the bottom of the potato and cheese mixture has formed a crispy golden crust.
• Flip the frico by placing a large plate over the frying pan and inverting the frico onto the plate, so the crispy side is facing up.
• Slide the frico back into the frying pan, (crispy side up) and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, until the other side becomes crispy and golden.
• Once the frico is crispy and golden on both sides, slide it onto a serving plate.