Frico with white wine: an idea for your next brunch, appetizer or party. Recipe inside!
Classic Frico made by woman winemaker Hilde Petrussa to serve with her delicious white wines.
Asking a Friulano, a person from the extreme Northeastern region of Italy, how you make Frico, one of their traditional go-to comfort foods, is like asking an american how you make stuffing for Thanksgiving. Every family has their own recipe which is a hand-me-down, in Italy traditionally from ‘nonna’ or grandma.
When we were preparing the food and wine pairing with Hilde Petrussa, owner of Vigna Petrussa winery, for our August 2nd VeroTalk (recording HERE) Hilde didn’t bat an eyelash when offering to whip up her family’s version of the Friulian dish, Frico, to taste along with her wines.
So what is Frico, anyway? It is a traditional appetizer from Friuli going back to the 15th century which has cheese as its main ingredient and is usually cooked in a pan on the stove. Sometimes it is only made cheese (and butter) and often potatoes and onions are added. And guess what - it pairs well with wine, especially white wines since the Friuli Venezia Giulia (aka Friuli) region produces some of the world’s best white wines.
The traditional cheese used to make Frico is Montasio, the most well known cheese in Friuli. Made exclusively from cows’ milk and aged around two to six months, the origins of Montasio is tied to monks in the Abbey of Moggio whose pastures bordered the Montasio area of the Giulie Alps in Friuli. It’s relatively mild flavor lends well to almost any dish, or even to eat alone with some honey.
Cheesy goodness aside, one of the fun aspects of Frico is its versatility: the recipe is customizable, and never the same twice. Part of its beauty is its flexibility: some sauté onions to add with the potato and cheese mixture, others use different cheeses, some use more cheese, or more potato. The recipe we have for you, which is like the one Hilde makes, uses potatoes and cheese as a base; the two are mixed together, then fried in a skillet. Experiment and find your own balance to make this recipe truly your own!
However, all agree, Frico has one important rule: eat it fresh out of the pan, hot, and with a good white wine! Vigna Petrussa’s Friulano pairs great with it. The fruit and acidity in these wines counter the salt and fatty/fried flavors of the Frico. The mildness of the cheese allows white wine fruit to blend in nicely. So, do as the Friulanos do. Try making Frico yourself at home and buy some Vigna Petrussa wines to go with it, whose wines are all rated 90+. Then close your eyes and you will taken right to the hills and vineyards of Northeastern Italy!
Vigna Petrussa’s winery and vineyards in Prepotto, Friuli, Northeastern Italy.
Frico - Cheese and Potato Hashbrown
Procedure:
1. Peel and cube the potatoes and boil them until fork tender. Drain and mash well or press through a ricer. While the potatoes cook, grate the cheese (choose Montasio for the most authentic Friulian taste) and set aside.
2. In a pot over medium heat, cook the mashed potatoes, stirring frequently. Once hot, add the grated cheese and continue cooking and stirring until the cheese is melted and it has become a smooth mixture, roughly 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
3. In a nonstick skillet, heat a thin layer of olive oil. Once hot, transfer the potato and cheese mixture, creating a single even layer covering the entire bottom of the skillet, pressing to compact well. Cook well, without stirring, until the bottom browns and is crispy.
4. Gently flip the Frico and let the other side brown in a similar fashion. Remove from the skillet, cut into slices and enjoy hot!
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Portions: 4 servings
Ingredients:
16oz or 4 Potatoes
16oz Montasio cheese or another
semi-soft cheese such as Asiago
Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper
Suggested Wine Pairings:
Vigna Petrussa | Friulano White Wine
Meet Hilde and her daughter Francesca of Vigna Petrussa live at our next VeroTalk virtual tasting on November 8th 2pm eastern / 11am pacific and taste along with them with your homemade Frico! Event details are here. Get your discounted 90+ Taste of Friuli wine tasting set in our online shop. Buy now and we’ll ship it to you.
Let us know how your take on Hilde’s family recipe of Friulian Frico or Potato and Cheese Hashbrown and how it pairs with Vigna Petrussa’s White Wines! Pick up the wine in our online shop, and we ship directly to you!
