Frico

Friday ended much as it began--cold and rainy--and I was looking forward to relaxing with John over an icy cold Martini at the end of a long week. Since our dinner was to consist of a red pepper fritatta and a green salad, I thought a little splurge was in order for a before-dinner snack, or cichetti as the Italians like to call their small savory snacks served with their apertivo.

I decided that a few frico were in order.  If you never had frico, you are in for a real treat. Frico come from the Friuli region of Italy, and are typically made from local Montasio cheese. You can say that frico are cheese crisps, but they are so much more. They are wafers of shredded cheese baked or fried until crisp. These crisp, lacy wafers of melted cheese taste like those crispy bits left in the pan after you've made grilled cheese. How good does that sound?

So next time you are looking for something savory, salty or crisp made in a flash, try frico.

First I took out a hunk of Parmagiano-Reggiano--

Then grated some into a fluffy mound--

Then I formed the grated cheese by tablespoons into disks on a silicon baking mat--

Then into a 375 degree oven for 6-10 minutes (watch carefully) until golden brown--

Cool a bit--

 And enjoy--

Cook's Note: A bit of flour may be added to the grated cheese to make them a little more substantial, and fresh black pepper makes a nice addition.  These are just as easy to make in a skillet as in the oven. These frico are a great payoff for little work.