Frico (crispy cheese and potato cake)
Thin potatoes and onion fried with a mountain of cheese until it sets into a golden, crackly-edged cake, the pride of northeast Italy, with a lemony arugula salad.
- 50 min total
- 40 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 2
- About $3.77 a serving
- 790 calories
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes
- ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1½ cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 2 cups arugula
- ½ lemon, juiced
From your pantry
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- ½ tsp salt, divided
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 790 calories, 34 g protein, 50 g carbs and 52 g fat, and costs about $3.77 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No Yukon Gold potatoes? Russet potatoes or red potatoes work.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
- No arugula? Baby spinach or spring mix works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the potatoes and slice them very thin, about ⅛ inch. the onion.
Peel. Peeling means removing the skin with a vegetable peeler or a small knife. It takes off tough or bitter skins, though potato and carrot skins are fine to leave on unless the recipe insists.
How you’ll know: The color underneath is even all over, with no patches of skin left behind.
Thinly slice. Thinly slicing means cutting slices about an eighth of an inch thick, roughly two coins stacked. Thin slices cook in seconds and soften fast, which quick dishes need.
How you’ll know: A slice bends a little when you hold it by one edge, and slow, steady cuts beat fast ones.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil and the butter in a 10-inch nonstick over medium heat. Add the potatoes, onion and of salt, cover and cook, stirring every few minutes, until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Pinch. A pinch is what you can hold between your thumb and two fingers, less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It’s a small, forgiving amount, so there’s no need to measure.
How you’ll know: It’s a light sprinkle you can barely see on the food, not a little pile.
Medium heatTimer: 13 min 30 sec
Lightly crush the potatoes with a spatula, then scatter both cheeses and the pepper over them and everything together. Press it into a flat, even cake.
Fold. Folding means mixing gently by scooping from the bottom and turning it over the top, instead of stirring hard. It keeps light mixtures airy and soft things like berries or herbs in one piece.
How you’ll know: You use slow, wide strokes and stop as soon as there are no streaks left.
Medium heat
Cook without stirring for 8 to 10 minutes, until the bottom is a deep crust and the cake slides when you shake the pan.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Medium heatTimer: 9 min
Dolly’s tip: Don’t rush this. The cheese needs time to melt, then fry into a crust. If it sticks, give it another minute.Slide the frico onto a plate, put the upside down over it and flip both together. Cook 5 to 7 minutes more, until the second side is .
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Crispy. Crispy means the outside is dry, firm and crunchy. It comes from high heat, a little oil and room in the pan, because crowded food steams and goes soft.
How you’ll know: It sounds crunchy when you tap or bite it, and it doesn’t flop when you lift it.
Medium heatTimer: 6 min
Dolly’s tip: Use a plate bigger than the pan and flip over the sink the first time.the arugula with the lemon juice, the rest of the oil and the last of salt.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Pinch. A pinch is what you can hold between your thumb and two fingers, less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It’s a small, forgiving amount, so there’s no need to measure.
How you’ll know: It’s a light sprinkle you can barely see on the food, not a little pile.
Slide the frico onto a board, cut it into wedges and serve with the salad.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
