Cheese fries are thin wafers or basket-shaped crisps made from various cheeses, often served as appetizers or side dishes. Italian frico are made with Montasio cheese, while other cheeses like Asiago, Cefalotiri, Montasio, or Parmigiano Reggiano can also be used. Cheese fries can be baked in the oven or made in the microwave, and can be seasoned with herbs or other ingredients for extra flavor. Basket-shaped crisps can be created by cooling the cooked cheese while wrapped on a rolling pin or draped over an inverted cup or bowl.
Cheese fries are usually wafer thin or boat-like baskets made from various oven-baked cheeses. These wafers are often served as appetizers or side dishes for soups or stews. The basket-shaped version can contain salads, sauces, spreads or other complementary ingredients.
Types of cheeses used
In Italy, cheese fries are called frico, which traditionally are thin, crispy, lace-like wafers about 3 to 4 inches (about 7 to 10 cm) in diameter and made with Montasio cheese. Hard or hard grated cheese is needed to make chips. Suitable cheeses include Asiago, Cefalotiri, Montasio or Parmigiano Reggiano. Other recipes use Swiss or Roman cheese.
The selected cheese often influences the results. Kefalotiri is a semi-hard Greek cheese that tends to form irregularly shaped wafers with holes. Other ingredients, such as seasonings, herbs, or bacon or pepperoni bits, are sometimes added for extra flavor.
Preparation
To make cheese fries, you should select a firm firm texture and cut it into very thin slices – less than an eighth of an inch (3.2 mm) thick. The slices are placed on a baking sheet, leaving room for the chips to spread. Some cooks prefer to line the pan with a silicone liner.
Baking
The slices should be cooked for about four minutes in a preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (224 degrees Celsius). The fries are done when they are lightly browned and bubbly. A spatula can be used to remove them from the pan and they can be cooled on a wire rack. When using a new type of cheese, a small test batch can be prepared to verify desired results.
Recipe Variations
Other crunchy cheesy recipes can be used to create larger, pancake-like fries. The larger, lace-textured wafers are served whole or broken into free-form pieces. Cooked in a hot pan, these chips still contain very few ingredients: cheese, a small amount of flour and pepper, rosemary or oregano for seasoning. Some recipes recommend melting the butter in the pan, while others recommend no added fat at all.
Moduli basket
To create the basket-like cheese crisps, the cooked cheese should be allowed to cool while wrapped on a rolling pin. The rolling pin can be suspended by placing each end on tall cans or similar objects. The cheese can also cool while draped over an inverted cup or bowl that has the desired shape.
Microwave cooking
You can also make fries in the microwave. Instead of slices of cheese, the cubes can be placed at least 5cm apart on a piece of cooking parchment inside the microwave oven. The cheese cubes should be cooked on full power for a minute or two until the cheese is melted, bubbling and slightly browned. If the microwave does not have a turntable, the parchment needs to be rotated from time to time. After you’re done cooking, allow the cheese to cool and harden on the parchment — usually for about two minutes — before removing it from the paper.
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