Pissaladière (Niçoise Caramelized Onion Tart)
In short: A thick yeast dough topped with slowly cooked sweet onions, salty anchovies and black olives, the famous snack of Nice. It takes about 1 h 40 min in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 1 h 10 min
- Resting
- 1 h 30 min
- Total
- 1 h 40 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 290 kcal
Pissaladière is the savory tart sold in every bakery in Nice and along the Riviera. A thick, soft bread dough is spread with onions cooked slowly in olive oil until they turn sweet and jammy, then decorated with anchovies and small black olives in a lattice pattern. It has no tomato and no cheese. Eat it warm or at room temperature, cut into squares, with a glass of cold rosé.
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large wide pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, thyme, bay leaves and salt, cover and cook for 15 minutes until the onions release their juices.
- Uncover and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring often, until very soft, pale golden and jammy. Do not let them brown. Remove the thyme and bay leaves and let the onions cool.
- Meanwhile, mix the flour, yeast and salt. Add the oil and warm water and knead for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled.
- Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Oil a 30 x 40 cm (12 x 16 in) baking tray. Press the dough out to fill the tray, stretching it into the corners, and rest it for 15 minutes.
- Spread the onions over the dough, leaving a 1 cm (1/2 in) border.
- Arrange the anchovy halves in a lattice over the onions and place an olive in each diamond. Add black pepper.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are golden and the base is crisp. Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips
- Cook the onions slowly. Hurrying them over high heat makes them bitter instead of sweet. They should reduce to about a third of their raw volume.
- Not an anchovy fan? Leave them out and add extra olives, or scatter fresh thyme leaves over the tart.
Questions and answers
Is pissaladière the same as pizza?
They are related but different. Pissaladière has a thicker, softer, bread-like base and is topped with sweet onions, anchovies and olives, without tomato sauce or cheese.
Can I make pissaladière ahead of time?
Yes. The cooked onions keep in the fridge for 3 days, and the baked tart reheats well at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes. It is also good cold.
What is pissaladière named after?
The name comes from pissalat, a Niçoise anchovy paste. Today the tart is usually topped with whole anchovy fillets instead.
How long does it take to make Pissaladière (Niçoise Caramelized Onion Tart)?
About 1 h 40 min in total: 30 min of preparation and 1 h 10 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Pissaladière (Niçoise Caramelized Onion Tart)?
About 290 kcal per serving, with 7 g of protein, 41 g of carbohydrates and 11 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 290 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 41 g |
| Fat | 11 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Sodium | 720 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
