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Pan-seared Melonz della Valle Spluga are potato rounds with a molten Casera center, browned in butter and finished with sage. The name points to the Valle Spluga in Lombardy’s Valchiavenna. I haven’t found one fixed written version, so this is my home interpretation built on alpine pantry staples.
The dough sits closer to gnocchi than mashed potato. It’s floury potatoes, a little flour, one egg, and Casera in the dough as well as in the center.
Go easy when you mix. About one minute is enough, and past that the starch turns gluey and the rounds sear up dense instead of tender.
Boil the potatoes a day ahead and the active work drops to about 40 minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Crisp butter crust over a soft, fluffy potato interior
- Casera melts into a molten center without any extra sauce
- Potatoes boil a day ahead to shorten the evening
- Shaped rounds freeze raw for a quick dinner later
Ingredient Notes
- floury potatoes: Russet or Yukon Gold give a dry, fluffy dough. Waxy potatoes hold too much moisture and need extra flour, which makes the rounds heavy.
- Casera cheese: Casera Valtellina is a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese that melts cleanly. Fontina or young Asiago are the closest swaps. Casera and Grana Padano are made with animal rennet, so strict vegetarians should check labels.
- all-purpose flour: Italian 00 flour works the same way. Use only what the dough needs to hold together, since more flour means a tougher round.
- Grana Padano: It adds a salty, nutty finish. Parmigiano Reggiano is a direct swap.
- fresh sage: Choose small, firm leaves, which crisp evenly in butter. Dried sage turns dusty here, so skip it.
Pan-Seared Melonz della Valle Spluga with Sage Butter
Ingredients
Method
- Put the 700 g potatoes, unpeeled, in a 4-quart / 3.8 L pot with cold water to cover and 1 tbsp coarse salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, until a knife slides to the center with no resistance. Drain and let them sit for 15 minutes so the steam escapes.
- Peel the potatoes while still warm, holding them with a kitchen towel, and rice them into a large bowl. Add the flour, egg, grated Casera, 1 tsp fine salt, and nutmeg. Mix with your hands for about 1 minute, until no dry flour shows and the dough is soft but not sticky. Stop there.
- Line a 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch tray with parchment. Divide the dough into 8 portions of about 120 g. Press a Casera cube into the center of each, close the dough around it, roll into a ball, and flatten to a round about 7 cm wide and 3 cm thick. Chill for 10 minutes.
- Heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a 30 cm / 12-inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat until the butter foams. Sear 4 rounds for 4 to 5 minutes per side, without moving them, until the crust is deep golden and the centers are soft. Move to a plate and tent loosely with foil. Wipe the pan and repeat with the remaining butter, oil, and rounds.
- While the second batch sears, melt 40 g butter with the sage leaves in an 18 cm / 7-inch saucepan over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sage crisps and the butter smells nutty. Plate 2 rounds per person, spoon over the sage butter, dust with Grana Padano, and serve at once.
Notes
- Boil the potatoes up to a day ahead and refrigerate them whole, unpeeled.
- Weigh each dough portion at about 120 g so the rounds cook evenly.
- Sear in two batches of four so the pan stays hot and the crust browns.
- Wipe the skillet between batches, or the butter solids will burn.
Tips for Success
- Choose floury potatoes and boil them whole with the skins on, so they absorb as little water as possible.
- Peel and rice the potatoes while warm, then let them sit 15 minutes so the steam escapes before you add flour.
- Mix the dough with your hands for about one minute and stop as soon as no dry flour shows.
- Flatten each round to 3 cm thick and chill for 10 minutes, which helps the shape hold in the pan.
- Leave the rounds untouched for 4 minutes per side, because the crust releases from the pan on its own once it’s set.
Variations
- Fold 60 g finely diced, browned speck into the dough for a smoky edge, and cut the dough salt to 3/4 tsp.
- Replace the cheese cube with 1 tbsp of cooked, well-squeezed savoy cabbage and a smaller cube of Casera in each round.
- Shape 40 g mini rounds and sear 2 to 3 minutes per side for a bite-size appetizer served on toothpicks.
Storage and Reheating
Cooked Melonz keep 3 to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge, with parchment between the layers. Shaped raw rounds keep 24 hours covered on a tray, or freeze them on a tray for 1 hour and bag them for up to 2 months. Thaw frozen rounds overnight in the fridge before searing.
Reheat cooked rounds on a rack-lined tray in a 190 C / 375 F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the centers reach 165 F / 74 C and the crust crisps again. The microwave steams the crust soft, so use the oven.
Store leftover sage butter separately and warm it in a small saucepan before spooning it over.
Serving Suggestions
Serve two Melonz per person straight from the pan, within 10 minutes of the second batch finishing. The crust is at its crispest then, and the Casera is still fluid.
Sautéed chicory or savoy cabbage with garlic cuts through the butter and cheese. Thin slices of bresaola with lemon juice make a cold counterpoint on the side.
A dry red such as Rosso di Valtellina suits the plate. A crisp sparkling white works if you prefer something lighter.
FAQ
Why are my Melonz falling apart in the pan?
The dough is usually too wet, or the rounds went in warm. Let the boiled potatoes steam dry for 15 minutes, chill the shaped rounds for 10 minutes, and leave them untouched for 4 minutes per side. If the dough feels sticky, add flour 1 tbsp at a time.
Can I use Fontina or mozzarella instead of Casera in Melonz?
Fontina is the closest swap, since it melts well and tastes mild and nutty. Young Asiago works too. Low-moisture mozzarella melts but tastes flat, so add an extra tablespoon of Grana Padano to the dough. Avoid fresh mozzarella, because its water makes the center leak into the pan.
Can I freeze Melonz before cooking them?
Yes, freeze them raw. Set the shaped rounds on a parchment-lined tray for 1 hour, then bag them for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and sear as written. Searing straight from frozen browns the outside before the cheese has melted.
What goes well with Melonz della Valle Spluga?
Bitter or sharp sides cut the butter and cheese. Sautéed chicory or savoy cabbage with garlic is my default, and thin bresaola with lemon works as a cold counterpoint. For a drink, a dry red such as Rosso di Valtellina keeps the plate balanced.
Are Melonz gluten free, or can I make them without wheat flour?
No, the dough contains 120 g of all-purpose flour. A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend can replace it, but the dough is softer, so chill the shaped rounds for 20 minutes instead of 10. Casera and Grana Padano are naturally gluten free, though it’s worth checking labels.
What’s the difference between Melonz and sciatt?
Sciatt are Valtellina fritters made from a buckwheat and grappa batter wrapped around a cube of Casera and deep-fried. The Melonz here use a potato dough shaped around Casera and pan-seared in butter. Sciatt are crisp and light, while these are soft inside with a golden crust.