Pissaladiere - Caramelised French Onion Tart

This is a real tear-jerker of a tart as you have to chop a good few onions for the topping, but I promise it's worth it - the onions caramelise to make a gorgeously sticky, sweet topping which pairs up perfectly with the salty olives and anchovies. If you don't like anchovies, don't be put off. By cooking them with the onions they melt into the topping, leaving a deliciously rich flavour. This makes a great picnic/lunchbox treat or a simple supper with a green salad. If you wanted to make it quicker, swap the bread dough base for ready-made puff pastry - it should need about 20-25 minutes in the oven at 180°C/gas mark 5. Based on a recipe from an excellent book called Supper with Rosie.



Makes 6 big slices.

Ingredients:

For the base:
120ml lukewarm water
15g dried active yeast (yes, this is 2 sachets!)
1 teaspoon caster sugar
250g plain flour
90ml/6 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil

For the topping:
A big knob of butter
4-5 red onions
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
6 anchovy fillets, halved lengthwise
12 pitted black olives

First, make the dough. Mix the water, yeast and sugar, and leave to stand for 5 minutes. It will go bubbly and frothy on top - this is exactly what you want.

Once the yeast is ready, add to a large bowl with the flour, oil and a pinch of salt. Using a knife, mix to a dough. Turn out onto a floured worktop and knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Flour the mixing bowl, put the dough back inside and cover with cling film. Leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

While the dough rises, make the topping. Slice the onions finely and add to a pan with the butter, anchovies and a splash of oil. Cook on medium, stirring constantly. Once the onions start to cook, turn the temperature down to low and add the sugar and vinegar. You want the onions to colour gently rather than burning. After about 20 minutes, once they are soft and translucent, they are ready.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7. Oil the largest baking tin you have - 25x30cm is about right. When your dough has doubled in size, tip it out onto a floured work surface and knead for a few minutes to knock out the air.

Now it is time to assemble your tart. Place the dough on the baking sheet and press out roughly with your fingers until it fills the tin - if you prefer a neater finish, you could roll out with a rolling pin before placing in the tin. Don't worry if it looks a bit thin - it will rise. Leave for another 5-10 minutes until it has puffed up slightly and then top with your onions. Leave some space around the edge to form a crust. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the bread is golden. Once cooked, top with the olives (they tend to dry out if you cook them in the oven).

Delicious cold or warm with a green salad.


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