Two recipes for dishes in Friuli Venezia Giulia are as follows:
Gulasch (Goulash!)
1 kg lean stewing beef, cubed
½ kg fresh tomato passata
½ kg potatoes, peeled and squared
2 large onions, chopped
1 fresh red chilli pepper, finely chopped
250ml beef stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Bouquet garni of fresh marjoram and rosemary
Olive oil or beef fat for cooking
Heat a little olive oil (or beef fat if preferred) in a large frying pan and when hot, add the beef and the onion.
Saute for several minutes until the meat is browned before adding the chilli pepper, passata and the bouquet garni. Gently pour in half of the beef stock, mix well and then season with salt and pepper before covering and allowing to simmer for an hour and a quarter, stirring occasionally. The potatoes must then be added along with the rest of the stock and stirred in. Allow another 20 -30 minutes of simmering before removing the bouquet garni and serving in large bowls.
Frico (fried cheese wedge)
250g fresh Montasio* or Grana Padano cheese, finely sliced
500g potato, peeled and grated
Salt and pepper to taste
25g unsalted butter
*Montasio is a cow’s cheese which can only legally be made in designated parts of north eastern Italy. It is now widely available but if you cannot get hold of it then Grana Padano is a good alternative..
Warm the butter in a frying pan and then add the potato and cook until they start to colour before adding the cheese and seasoning and stirring well. Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow to cook until the bottom has gone brown, spooning off any fat which accumulates on the top. Then carefully turn the frico over, using a plate if necessary to ensure that it does not break and then return to the pan with the uncooked side down. Total cooking time should be around 20 minutes, and the frico should be crunchy on the outside with a soft centre when ready. Serve cut into slices.
Variations on the traditional frico include adding onions, pancetta or anything suitable one may have to hand.
