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 throughout Provence, pissaladière is commonly savored as a snack or light entrée. Recipe Servings: Serves 6

Prep Time

30 minutes
+ 1 minute resting

Cook Time

1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time

1 hour 51 minutes

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Kosher

Halal

Ingredients

Dough
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup (240 ml) warm water
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
3 cups (720 ml) all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp (15 ml) salt
cornmeal, for dusting
Topping
1/3 cup (78 ml) olive oil
3 lbs (1.4 kg) onions, peeled and thinly sliced
salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
12 anchovy fillets
15 black olives, preferably niçoise

Directions

Dough:
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes before adding the olive oil.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
Add the yeast mixture to the flour and mix to form a soft dough.
On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until it becomes smooth, firm, and elastic.
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a large, lightly oiled bowl.
Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough sit for 1 hour in a warm place to rise. Meanwhile, prepare the toppings.
Topping:
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat.
Add the onions and season them with salt, pepper, and herbs.
Lower the heat and cover the pan. Stirring occasionally, let the onions simmer for about 30 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue cooking and stirring for another 30 minutes, until any liquid evaporates and the onions are tender and golden but not brown.
Remove the onions from heat.
Preheat the oven to 450 ? (230 ?).
On a floured surface, punch the dough to remove the air bubbles and roll it out into a flat rectangle.
Dust a baking sheet with the cornmeal and transfer the dough onto it .
Spread the sautéed onions on top of the dough.
Arrange the anchovies and olives on top of the onions in a crisscross pattern.
Bake for 15–20 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

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.