Ok, I admit it - for a delicious pizza, French cuisine is not destination #1. But what you should definitely treat yourself to as a pizza lover is a tasty Provençal (pseudo) pizza from Nice. What sounds like a bad joke is to be taken literally with this recipe, because the classic Pissaladière is nothing else but that: crispy yeast dough, savory Mediterranean toppings of braised onions and an ultra-spicy paste made of anchovies and fresh herbs.
Originally invented as a dish for poor people and put together from whatever the pantry and garden had to offer, the Mediterranean onion tart has now become a solid classic of Provencal cuisine. And by the way, it's a really great alternative to the hefty and savory Quiche Lorraine.
MY TIP:
Fun fact: Even though the name may sound strange to Germans at best, and at worst like something related to a porta-potty on the Côte d'Azur - the Pissaladière was named after the spicy anchovy paste. The so-called "Pissalat" is spread on the dough base instead of a classic tomato sauce, and was simply named after the main ingredient, salted fish (in the regional dialect "peis salat"). It's practically the European answer to Asian fish sauce, with just as much flavorful punch!
Ingredients
For 4 servings
for the Pissalat spread
for the topping
Equipment
nutritional values per serving
Preparation in 8 steps
For the Pissalat spread: Rinse anchovy fillets with clear water and let them drain. Wash herbs, shake dry, and pluck the leaves from the stems. Process all ingredients in a mortar or with an immersion blender to a fine paste.
Peel onions and cut them into slices 2 mm thick. Set aside.
Preheat the Dutch Oven on low heat on the side burner. Add olive oil, stir in onions with salt, cloves, and bay leaves, and sauté gently for 20 minutes until translucent, without browning. Remove from the burner and set aside.
Prepare gas grill at 200 °C indirect heat or preheat oven to 200 °C convection.
Drain remaining anchovies and olives. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out dough pieces on floured work surface into oval or rectangular shapes. Place on the baking sheet, brush with Pissalat, and top with onions.
Wrap pastry edges and bake Pissaladière for 20 minutes.
Remove Pissaladière from the gas grill or oven, top with anchovies and olives, and bake for another 10 minutes.
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Jelena's happy place is the kitchen and grill. Thanks to her Balkan roots, it's always about one thing for her: food! And she loves it good and plentiful. Whether for guests, the perfect dish, or learning new skills, she doesn't mind getting her hands dirty, might even butcher a wild boar or dry beef hearts at home. No wonder she quickly abandons her Kölsch glass for BURNHARD and ventures into the forbidden city!