Tolminska frika
The Soča valley potato and cheese cake: grated potatoes and Tolminc cheese pressed into a hot pan and fried until the edges are golden and crisp.
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 35 min
- total
- 50 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- medium
Frika comes from the Tolmin area in the Soča valley, where it was made from what a mountain household always had: potatoes and local cheese. Grated raw potato is combined with Tolminc cheese, packed into a hot pan with fat, and cooked slowly until crusty on both sides.
There is no flour and no egg, so the potatoes have to be squeezed properly dry. What holds it together is potato starch and cheese.
Tolminska frika is one of the twenty most famous Slovenian foods.
method
Coarsely grate the potatoes. Wrap them in a clean towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
Mix the potatoes with the grated cheese, the onion if using, salt and pepper.
Heat the fat in a heavy 24 to 26cm skillet over medium heat. Press the potato mixture into the pan in an even layer about 2cm thick.
Cook over medium-low heat, partly covered, for 15 to 18 minutes, until the bottom is deep golden and crisp.
Slide the frika onto a plate, add a little fat to the pan, and flip it back to cook the other side for 12 to 15 minutes.
Slide it onto a board, cut into wedges and serve hot with a green salad or a glass of sour milk.
chef's tips
- Squeeze the potatoes hard; excess water is what keeps the cake from crisping.
- No Tolminc? Aged Gouda, Montasio or a mix of Gruyère and Parmesan comes close.
- Cook it lower and longer than seems natural; high heat burns the outside before the middle sets.