Pissaladiere

From the kitchen of One Perfect... I can't tell you how often I've made pissaladiere. It is a favorite of mine and it is one of the dishes I make when I'm on my own for dinner. This is often called a Provencal tart. That's a bit of a misnomer because the pie, which is layered with caramelized onions, anchovies and olives, contains no eggs. While I may not be right about this, I think of pissaladiere as a pizza that gets its name from the anchovies, or pissala, that are stirred into the onions to intensify their flavor. While the recipe I'm featuring tonight comes from Dorie Greenspan, I use Julia Child's recipe more frequently. The recipes are similar, but Julia's uses a pie crust as the pizza base. I suspect Dorie's recipe is more correct in its use of a pizza type dough, but I don't want you to get hung up on what you use as the base. I've used flat bread, and tubed pizza dough to hold the filling and because this pie is more about the filling than it is  about the crust, I have never been disappointed . It is simple to make and if you are adventurous and like strongly flavored foods, pissaladiere  just might become a favorite of yours. The onions can be made a day before you assemble the pie and once it is baked the pie can sit for several hours before it is served. Do try this. I don't think you'll be disappointed and it fits into Lenten menus. Here is how the pie is made.


Pissaladiere...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Fine Cooking and Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients:
Dough
1-1/4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon. granulated sugar
1 packet active dry yeast (you can use rapid-rise)
1/3 cup warm water
2 tablespoons. olive oil
1 large egg, at room temperature
Onion Topping
2 tablespoons  olive oil
6 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 thyme sprig
1 bay leaf
About 12 good-quality anchovies packed in oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
About 12 Niçoise olives, pitted or not

Directions:
1) To make the dough: Whisk flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Stir yeast into the warm water and, when it's dissolved, whisk in olive oil and room temperature egg. Using your hand, a sturdy rubber spatula, or a wooden spoon, make a little well in center of the flour, then pour in yeast mixture and mix until you have a rough dough, a matter of minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until it is smooth. Rinse out bowl, rub it lightly with oil, and turn dough around in it until it all surfaces are covered with oil. Cover bowl, set it aside in a warm place, and let dough rise for at least an hour, or until it has doubled in size.
2) To prepare onions: While dough is rising, pour olive oil into a large nonstick skillet and warm it over low heat. Toss in onions, thyme, and bay leaf, stirring to coat everything with oil, then cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent, soft, and golden, about 45 minutes. While onions cook, chop 6 of the anchovies. When onions are cooked, pull pan from heat, stir in anchovies, which will dissolve into onions, and season lightly with sea salt and generously with pepper. Set aside until needed.
3) To assemble and bake: Center a rack in oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Press down on dough to deflate it, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Line a large baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Roll dough out on a floured surface until it is about 10 x 14 inches. Transfer dough to baking sheet and top it with the onion mixture, leaving a scant inch of dough around edges bare. Bake pissaladière for about 20 minutes, or until dough is golden. Pull pan from the oven, decorate top with olives and remaining anchovies, and bake pissaladière for 5 minutes more, just to warm the new toppings. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Make Ahead Tips

The onions can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated, as can the dough; just punch it down and cover it well. When you're ready to use the dough, bring it to room temperature. Once made, the pissaladière can be kept at room temperature for a few hours.

                    

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