Frico With Apples And Montasio Cheese Recipes

FRICO WITH APPLES AND MONTASIO CHEESE

Steps:

• Peel and core the apples, and slice into wedges about 1/2 inch thick. Pour the olive oil in the skillet, and set over medium heat. Scatter the apple wedges in the pan, and toss to coat with oil. Cook and caramelize the apples for about 8 minutes, tossing frequently, until tinged with brown and softened but not mushy. Spill the caramelized apples onto a plate.
• Sprinkle half of the shredded Montasio in an even layer over the bottom of the skillet. Return the apples to the pan, spread them evenly on top of the cheese, then sprinkle the remainder of the shredded cheese over the apples.
• Lower the heat, and let the frico cook undisturbed until the bottom is very brown and crisped, about 10 minutes. If the cheese releases a lot of fat in the pan, blot it up with paper towels. Shake the pan to loosen the disk, put a large plate on top and invert, dropping the frico onto the plate, then slide it back in the skillet, top side down. Cook until the second side is crisp and brown, about 7 minutes more.
• Slide (or invert) the frico onto the plate, blot up oil, and slice into six wedges. Serve hot.
• Frico served with a slab of grilled polenta while everyone is seated around a fogoler with a crackling fire-this is Friuli. The fogoler is a four-sided open hearth with a central hood, from which the polenta cauldron hangs. As inmost of the world today, these romantic traditions are disappearing, but if you travel to Friuli and wander off to a small-town restaurant or trattoria on a cold winter's day, chances are that you will find a fogoler with the fire raging and something perking on it.

FRICO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with silicone mat.
• Working in 2 batches, scoop 8 mounds of finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese (1 tablespoon per mound) onto mat, spreading each mound about 3" wide and spacing at least 1" apart.
• Bake cheese until light brown and melted, 5-6 minutes (check occasionally while baking so it won't turn too brown). Remove sheet from oven and let frico cool completely. (To shape frico, leave baking sheet in oven with door open; use a small offset spatula to remove frico one at a time, working quickly to shape. To form tuile-like shapes, gently roll warm frico around the handle of a wooden spoon. To form cups, press onto the bottom and up the sides of a mini muffin pan. Keep frico warm until ready to mold; it hardens quickly as it cools.)

CHEDDAR FRICO

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, toss together cheese and flour. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Sprinkle about 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese mixture into skillet to form a 4-inch round.
• Cook until cheese is starting to melt and become firm, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Using a small offset spatula, turn; continue cooking until it is firm and slightly golden, 15 to 30 seconds more.
• Immediately drape frico over a rolling pin, and let cool slightly to set the shape. Repeat with remaining cheese mixture. If skillet gets too hot and frico begin to color too quickly, remove from heat for several minutes before proceeding.