France Pissaladière (Anchovy Tart)
A close cousin of the Italian pizza, pissaladière is a specialty of Nice and the surrounding Côte d’Azur region of France. The name of the dish is derived from pissalat, a Roman era aromatic puree of salted sardines and anchovies that is fairly rare in France today. Instead, whole anchovy filets are layered over a bed of caramelized onions and black olives spread on top of a thick bread crust. Sold in boulangeries (French bakeries) throughout Provence, pissaladière is commonly savored as an appetizer, snack, or light entrée.
Recipe Servings: 6
Prep Time
30 minutes
+ 1 hour 5 minutes resting
+ 1 hour 5 minutes resting
Cook Time
1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time
2 hours 55 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 cup (240 ml) warm water
- ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 3 cups (720 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) salt
- Cornmeal, as needed for dusting
- 1/3 cup (78 ml) olive oil
- 3 lbs (1.4 kg) onions, peeled and thinly sliced
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 12 anchovy fillets
- 15 black olives, preferably Niçoise
Directions
- Stir together yeast and warm water in a small bowl until dissolved and then let the mixture rest for 5 minutes before adding the olive oil.
- Combine flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Add yeast mixture to the flour and mix to form a soft dough.
- Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until it becomes smooth, firm, and elastic.
- Shape dough into a ball and transfer it to a large, lightly oiled bowl.
- Cover bowl with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for 60 minutes in a warm place. Meanwhile, prepare the toppings.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-low heat.
- Add onions and season them with salt and black pepper.
- Reduce heat, cover skillet, and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove lid and continue cooking and stirring for 30 minutes, until any liquid evaporates and the onions are tender and golden but not brown.
- Remove skillet from heat.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Punch dough down on a floured surface to remove air bubbles and roll it out into a flat rectangle or circle.
- Dust baking sheet with cornmeal and place the dough on it.
- Spread sautéed onions on top of the dough.
- Arrange anchovies and olives on top of the onions.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
- Remove from oven, let cool slightly, slice, and serve warm or at room temperature.
For Dough:
For Topping:
Notes
- Pissaladiére is traditionally prepared using bread dough. However, contemporary versions often substitute a puff pastry crust, making it more of a savory tart than a pizza.
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