Pissaladiere Recipe (Caramelized Onion Tart)

Pissaladière is a flatbread from Nice topped with anchovies and black olives. The crisp and fluffy crust helps a thick layer of caramelized onions slow-cooked with herbs till they’re meltingly tender and golden brown.

This savory onion tart, referred to as Pissaladière, is typically made with a shortcrust or puff pastry base, however a bread dough is probably the most conventional.

I discover that richer shortcrust and puff pastry could make the tart really feel heavy or greasy, particularly when smothered with so many caramelized onions. The lean, tender dough of the flatbread on this pissaladiere recipe balances the extraordinary flavors of the toppings.

It’s a stunning recipe to make for a lightweight weekend lunch with buddies. Serve it with recent salad and one thing crisp and refreshing to drink like a superbly chilled glass of rosé.

What is Pissaladière?

Pissaladière (which is pronounced pee-sah-lah-di-air) is a savory tart or flatbread from the coastal metropolis of Nice in Provence, which sits on the Southern coast of France.

The title comes from the Provençal phrase pissa salted anchovy pâté that may have at one time been unfold instantly over the dough with the onions. Now, it’s usually topped with a layer of caramelized onions after which topped with oil-cured anchovy fillets, typically organized in a diamond sample, with Nicoise olives within the heart of every sq..

Pissaladière has roots that stretch again centuries and displays the affect of close by Italy. If this pissaladière recipe resembles a pizza, it’s as a result of Nice is just 20 miles from the Italian border, and it was a part of neighboring Piedmont till as just lately as 1860.

But you gained’t usually discover tomato sauce or cheese on a traditional pissaladière. In close by Liguria, you’ll discover sardenairaan identical flatbread with out cheese. That model usually consists of tomato, a cousin to Sicily’s Sfincione.

For pissaladière elements

The salty-sweet trio of caramelized onions, anchovies, and black olives do all of the heavy lifting on this scrumptious flatbread. For such intense taste, pissaladière has a surprisingly quick listing of elements, with the additional benefit that the majority of them are long-keeping pantry cabinet staples. Here’s what you’ll want:

For the Dough

• All-purpose flour: The reasonable protein content material in all-purpose flour makes a lightweight, fluffy dough.
• Instant yeast: Since it doesn’t have to bloom earlier than including to the dough, on the spot yeast is much more handy. My favourite is Saf Red Instant Yeasthowever to not fear—the recipe consists of directions for utilizing lively dry yeast if that’s what you could have readily available.
• Kosher salt: Salt enhances the flavour of the tart and in addition helps to attract out the water from the onions for higher caramelization.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil provides richness and a fluffy texture to the dough and in addition helps the onions soften. For this tart, I want a gentle and buttery olive oil, similar to Arbequina.

For the Topping

• Yellow onions: For caramelizing, yellow onions strike a pleasant stability between sweetness and depth of taste. You can substitute candy onions, however they are going to be milder in taste.
• Fresh thyme infuses the onions with a woodsy aroma whereas they caramelize. You can combine it up with rosemary or a mixture of woody-stemmed herbs.
• Bay leaf provides complexity and depth of taste to the caramelized onions.
• Anchovy fillets: Oil-packed anchovy fillets pack a punch of salty, umami taste. For this tart you’ll need oil-cured anchovies (those offered jarred or canned) slightly than boquerones.
• Black olives: Tiny and briny Niçoise olives are the traditional alternative for pissaladière, however you may substitute one other sort of black olives, together with Kalamata. Choosing pitted olives makes pissaladiere far simpler to eat.

How to Make Pissaladière

Caramelizing the onions whereas the dough rises reduces the general time it takes to place this pissaladiere recipe collectively, however plan on about 2 1/2 hours earlier than the tart is able to serve. Here are the steps:

• Mix the dough: In a big mixing bowl, or within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon on the spot yeast, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Pour in 2/3 cup (160ml) heat water (80-90°F), and a couple of tablespoons additional virgin olive oil, and blend till the dough comes collectively right into a ball and the entire flour is moistened.
• Knead the dough: Knead on velocity 2 for 4 minutes, or till the dough is elastic and principally easy. If working by hand, flip the dough out onto a frivolously floured work floor. Knead by hand for five minutes. If the dough is just too sticky to work with, sprinkle it with 1 teaspoon of flour at a time as you knead it to realize a tender, barely cheesy consistency. Do not add extra flour than vital, because the dough will turn out to be too dry.
• Let the dough rise: Lightly grease the bowl with olive oil and switch the ball of dough to coat it frivolously. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a heat place for about 1 hour, or till the dough has roughly doubled in quantity.
• Caramelize the onions: While the dough is rising, caramelize the onions. In a big skillet or Dutch oven with a lid, mix 3 kilos (1.36 kg) thinly sliced onions, 3/4 cup (180ml) water, 2 tablespoons additional virgin olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, a small handful of recent thyme sprigs, and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil over excessive warmth. Cover and cook dinner till the water has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Uncover and proceed to cook dinner, stirring usually, till the onions are softened and golden brown, about 15 to twenty minutes. If the onions follow the pan, loosen them with a splash of water. Remove from the warmth. Discard the thyme stems and bay leaf. Set apart to chill barely till the dough is prepared.
• Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed half-sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Assemble the tart: Turn the dough out onto the ready pan. With your palms, stretch the dough right into a rectangle nearly to the sides of the pan. It must be roughly 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Let it relaxation for quarter-hour. Let it relaxation for quarter-hour. Spread the caramelized onions over the dough, leaving a skinny border across the edge. Lay about 12 anchovy filets excessive and dot with 1/4 cup pitted black olives. Brush the sides frivolously with olive oil.
• Bake: Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or till the crust is frivolously browned. Remove the tart from the oven and switch it to a cooling rack.
• Serve: Cut into squares and serve heat or at room temperature. The tart is greatest the day it’s baked.

How to Caramelize Onions

Caramelizing onions correctly is a labor of affection, taking upwards of 45 minutes to an hour. But my favourite methodology slashes the effort and time by softening the onions first with water in a lidded pot. After 10 minutes of hands-off simmering, the onions may have fast-forwarded to a meltingly tender stage. Now, simply proceed cooking them uncovered till they attain your required degree of caramelization.

To stop the onions from sticking to the pan, stir them often, each minute or so, which may even assist them to caramelize evenly. If they’re actually caught, or the fond is getting too darkish, add a splash of water to the pan. The extra usually you do that, nevertheless, the longer it’ll take to caramelize the sugar within the onions.

Make It Your Own

Pissaladière is historically easy, topped with simply caramelized onion, anchovies, and Niçoise olives. But that shouldn’t cease you from experimenting. Here are some concepts to get you began:

• Add tomatoes: Dot the tart with some roughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes (skin-side right down to keep away from a soggy crust) earlier than baking.
• Roasted purple peppers: Arrange thinly sliced roasted bell peppers over the tart earlier than baking.
• Roasted garlic: Add some candy, intensely flavored roasted garlic cloves to the tart earlier than baking.
• Swap the olives: Instead of Niçoise olives, attempt different black and even inexperienced olives. Scatter some capers over the tart. Or use a briny mixture of your favorites. You may additionally swizzle on some olive tapenade as an alternative.
• Take a shortcut: Substitute store-bought pizza dough as an alternative of creating your personal. Be certain to let it come to room temperature earlier than making an attempt to stretch it out.

What to Serve With Pissaladière

Serve pissaladière as a lightweight lunch paired with a easy salad, similar to this lemon parmesan salad. The brilliant lemon dressing offers a tangy distinction to the wealthy flavors of the tart. It would even be proper at residence subsequent to some roasted artichoke hearts or grilled artichokes with garlic, parsley, and lemon.

Pissaladière makes a elaborate appetizer for a cocktail party. Make a big Niçoise salad, or easy poached salmon with a inexperienced bean salad for the principle course. In Provence, it’d be onerous to seek out pissaladière with out some rosé wine close by. To elevate it, use a bottle for a batch of refreshing rosé lemonade.

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