Swing Eats

One of the wonderful little antipasto inventions is the frico from the northeastern region of Italy known as Friuli-Venezia Giulia. A frico is nothing more than a crisp-fried cheese wafer made with grated cheese. Even though it is simple, it can be bit tricky to make. Once you have made one successfully, it does seem so easy. Traditionally, the cheese used for making it is a three-month-old Montasio, a cow’s milk cheese with a buttery, creamy taste that melts very well. Traditionally, frico is cooked in a skillet. The difficult part of making a crisp frico, what is called locally frico croccante, is knowing when to remove the wafer from the pan. If it cooks too long and becomes too golden brown, it will become bitter. Therefore, a more fail-safe way to cook it is in the oven on parchment or a silicone baking sheet. Montasio cheese can be found in cheese stores and gourmet markets. If you cannot find it, you can try using freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grating from