Classic Provencal Pissaladière

pissaladiere
HUGHES Herv / hemis.fr
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 10 servings

Often a classic Pissaladiere is confused with pizza, which is rather odd and they are so different, A Pissaladière is a savory, onion tart layered with olives, anchovies, and herbs famous from the southern region of Provence but is so popular though you will find it on sale throughout the whole of France and further afield. 

The tart is served in many different ways, as a lunch dish, in pieces as a snack or in a lunch box and is cut into smaller squares and served as a canape or appetizer. Grabbing a slice of Pissaladiere is considered fast food which brings a whole new meaning to the term. 

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 6 yellow onions (chopped)
  • 2 teaspoons demerara sugar (raw sugar)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 sheet Puff pastry (thawed)
  • 20 canned anchovy fillets (drained)
  • 20 black olives in oil (drained)
  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (preferably French)
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme (chopped)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat oven to 350 F.

  3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

  4. Add the onions and demerara sugar and sauté, frequently stirring, until the onions become tender and start to turn golden at this point, be very careful not to burn the onions as this can leave a very bitter taste to the whole dish.

  5. Sprinkle the cooked onions with salt, pepper, and thyme.

  6. Stir the mixture and transfer the skillet to the preheated oven.

  7. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, occasionally stirring, until the onions are wilted, very soft, and are a medium gold throughout, again check for burning. 

  8. Add the vinegar during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

  9. Remove from the onions from the oven and set them aside to cool while preparing the pastry for the pissaladiere. 

  10. Raise the oven temperature to 425 F.

  11. Press the thawed pastry into a rectangle on a 12-inch by 18-inch baking sheet, building it up a bit around the edges.

  12. Spread the pastry with the onion confit, leaving 1 inch of dough uncovered around the edges of the pastry.

  13. Arrange the anchovy fillets and olives on the pissaladière in a criss-cross pattern then place an olive into each rectangle pattern to make an attractive looking tart. 

  14. Bake the tart for 15 to 25 minutes in the center of the heated oven until the pastry has puffed up, turned golden, and crisped.

  15. Remove the pissaladière from the oven and sprinkle the olive oil and fresh thyme across the hot surface of the tart.

  16. Cut it into rectangles and serve very warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Tips

  • Be very careful to cook the onions gently. One bit of burned onion will give the whole recipe a bitter flavor.
  • To pack into a lunch box or for a picnic, leave to go cold but do not put in the refrigerator as this deadens the flavor.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
291 Calories
16g Fat
22g Carbs
14g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 291
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 21%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 40mg 13%
Sodium 190mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Protein 14g
Calcium 123mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)