Go Back
Print
Forelle Pear and Sage Frico, Cheese Crisps

Forelle and Sage Frico

Classic cheese crisps are now the perfect entertaining appetizer.  Fresh sage leaves and forelle pear slices are added to the cheese rounds as they bake up in the oven.  The contrast between the sweet creamy fruit and the salty crisp cheese is fabulous, perfect with a glass of bubbly!

Course Appetizer
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Servings 8 Frico

Ingredients

  • 1 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese or piave vecchio, assiago, or any other aged cow's milk cheese
  • 1 forelle pear or 1/2 of a honeycrisp apple
  • 8 fresh sage leaves medium sized

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 375F. Place a rack to the lower third of the oven. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper,
  2. Use the larger holes of your grater to grate up the cheese. If any of the strands are very long, you can break these up with your fingers.
  3. Slice the pear (or apple, into thin slices. They should be shaped like half moons- see photos above as an example)
  4. Using two tbsp of cheese for each frico, place mounds evenly on the parchment paper and spread them out to cover a 4 inch (10 cm) circle. Use your hand to gently pat the cheese down evenly. If any bits around the edges seemed to have strayed from the disc of cheese, push these back to the cheese pile. You will need two baking sheets to fit four discs comfortably. But if you only have one, no worries, these bake up quickly, and the parchment can be re-used.
  5. Place one sage leaf across the top half of the cheese circle. Ensure that the leaf is upside down, the rib of the leaf is facing up. That way, as it dries while it bakes, the edges will curl into the cheese and not up into the air.
  6. Place into the lower third of the oven and bake for 4 minutes.
  7. After 4 minutes is up, take the baking sheet out, and place two slices of the pear over each sage leaf. Return to the oven for another 4 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling, and the edges are just crisped and turning golden.

  8. Remove from the oven. Wait about 3-5 seconds. Then, using a spatula, gently lift the open end of the cheese disc and fold it over onto the fruit side. Remove the cheese crisps to a paper towel lined plate. Pat both sides dry. Serve.

  9. These are wonderful warm as well as at room temperature. They will continue to crisp up as they cool.

Recipe Notes

Feel free to swap out Anjou or Bartlett pears (or whatever pear you like) or Gala apples.