Pissaladière (c)2011 LaDomestique.com (click to zoom)

Pissaladière is a French dish from the Pays Niçoise, an area bordering Italy. It’s easy to see the Italian influence in this flatbread decorated like a pizza. I read in Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook that Pissaladière is named for pissalat, which means “salted fish”. It’s a sauceless pizza topped with slow cooked onions, sliced tomato, olives, and anchovy. Niçoise olives grown near the city of Nice in Provence are traditionally used in Pissaladière. These small olives with big pits are harvested fully ripe and have a dark purplish-brown color. Niçoise olives are less salty than others. They have a mellow, nutty flavor that goes well with the onions and anchovies. I just can’t follow one recipe, it’s not in my nature. The Pissaladière I made for today is a marriage of two different recipes: Anne Willan’s from The Country Cooking of France and Martha Stewart’s from her Baking Handbook. I wanted to follow Martha Stewart’s instructions for the dough, and Anne Willan’s suggestions for the toppings (and make my own tweaks, of course).

Though both authors suggested using a variety of herbs to flavor the Pissaladière, I felt very strongly about using only thyme. A year ago, the husband and I traveled through France. That is where I first tasted Pissaladière, and I can’t forget the savory flavor of thyme with the tomatoes and olives. Anchovies are also essential. The heat of the oven transforms their salty, fishiness into a rich, umami flavor. If you’ve never tasted Pissaladière, it’s time to try something new. Making it was so simple and straightforward, I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to give Pissaladière a go. This French pizza is my new favorite for an easy supper. Enjoy your weekend, and give Pissaladière a try!

Pissaladière

Dough Recipe from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook

Ingredients for Topping

1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 pound large tomatoes
1 container of anchovy fillets (you will need at least 12 fillets)
1/2 cup Niçoise olives

Once the dough has risen, oil a 17-by-12-inch rimmed baking sheet. Roll the dough out into a rectangle and fit it into the baking sheet. Fold up the edges to make a lip. Use a fork to prick the dough all over. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and allow it to rise for 30 minutes. The dough should be slightly puffed.

Ingredients fo Pissaladière (click to zoom)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit. Soak the anchovies in milk. Heat the 1/4 cup olive oil in a large sautée pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions, and salt. Sweat the onions until very soft, about 20 to 30 minutes. Keep an eye on the heat. Do not allow the onions to caramelize. Toss in 1 tablespoon of thyme and remove the onions from the heat.

Assemble the pizza. Scatter the onion mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 inch border at the edges. Slice the tomatoes thinly and arrange the slices atop the onions. Season the tomatoes with freshly ground pepper. Place an anchovy across each tomato. Fill in the spaces with olives. Brush the pizza with olive oil and sprinkle the remaining thyme leaves over it.

Assembling the Ingredients fo Pissaladière (click to zoom)

Bake the Pissaladière for 12 minutes on the middle rack. Rotate the baking sheet and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the center is bubbling. Remove the Pissaladière from the oven and transfer it from the baking sheet to a wooden cutting board to cool. Pissaladière is best enjoyed the same day it is made.