Parmesan Crisps---FRICO!
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1 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, about 4 ounces.
Make the crisps:
Place one of the racks in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment or silpats. Evenly space 2 Tablespoon mounds, 3 to a pan. Spread the cheese evenly with your fingers, with a fork or both. Leave about 2 inches between each round. Bake one sheet at time in the center of the oven until the crisps just begin to color, 6 to 8 minutes. Don’t let them fully brown or the cheese will turn bitter. Repeat with the rest of the cheese.
Alternatively, these cheese crisps can be made in a nonstick sauté pan one at a time, but it’s way more efficient to make them in batches on baking sheets in the oven.
For flat frico, let them cool on the pan before gently removing and placing on paper towels. For curls or cups, let the frico cool for a minute or 2, no longer. Then, with a thin spatula, gently lift and lay each over a rolling pin, bottle, or the back of muffin cups to shape. Store the crisps in an airtight container for up to a week.
Makes 8 crisps. YUM!
LESSONS Learned:
1. Make sure to evenly and thinly spread the grated cheese into a circle so that they brown and crisp with equally.
2. Consider adding a ½ teaspoon toasted and crushed cumin or fennel seeds as well as other spices for variety—but I will admit I’m a purist.
3. Shaping the crisps is a pretty way to serve them. To form them, you must move quickly, only letting the crisps cool for a minute or 2 on the pan.
4. I like them larger in size, but you can make them any size you like. Smaller ones can be made with 1 Tablespoon of the grated cheese, 12 to a pan. Bake at a slightly lower temperature, 350 degrees F for 6 minutes.
5. Since this cheese is as expensive as it is delicious, you want to make sure that you store it properly. Cut off the piece you want for now, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Wrap the rest the same way, place in a freezer Ziploc with all of the air squeezed out and store in the freezer. (Don’t forget to date it!)