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Key Takeaways
- On Instagram, Stanley Tucci shared his take on a classic French appetizer, pissaladière.
- Pissaladière is easy to make at home with just four ingredients.
I recently had the pleasure of testing several brands of puff pastry to find the best that grocery stores offer. It was a fun endeavor, but it left me with an abundance of puff pastry boxes in my freezer. My bursting freezer (and my husband muttering things like, “Stupid freezer…Why is it so full?”) were clear signs that I needed to use that extra puff pastry—and fast.
Before my husband took it upon himself to “right my wrong” by making a puff pastry PB&J, I took to the internet to find a better use for it. Luckily, Stanley Tucci’s recipe for pissaladière (so French!) popped up. I am happy to report that my puff pastry was saved, and now I’m also equipped to help you create this classic French treat yourself.
What Is a Pissaladière?
According to Merriam-Webster, a Provençal pissaladière is “an open-faced pastry topped with olives, onions, and anchovies.” This French tart can be made with yeasted dough or puff pastry. It’s traditionally topped with caramelized onions, salty anchovy filets, and briny Niçoise olives.
How to Make Pissaladière at Home
If you’re tired of pizza, pissaladière is a delicious alternative, and you don’t have to be a Michelin-star chef (or award-winning actor) to make it.
The simplest way to start is with frozen puff pastry. Thaw it following package directions, then grab a cast iron pan and use your time wisely by caramelizing the onions. By the time your onions are golden and jammy, your dough should be ready to roll. Lightly flour your work surface and roll the pastry out into a 13-by-11-inch rectangle. Place it on a piece of parchment paper and top with caramelized onions, olives, and anchovies. Let it bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until it’s puffy and golden, then enjoy.
How to Customize Your Pissaladière
I used sweet Vidalia onions for my pissaladière, but other varieties would work well. I love the idea of using shallots, for example. Or you can go the Tucci route and use leeks. While I enjoy the salty, umami-forward flavor of anchovies, it’s okay to skip them or swap them with another protein. You could try tuna packed in oil or even sardines. As for the olives, Niçoise are traditional, but Kalamata or Castelvetrano would work, too. Heck, any olive is better than no olives, so use what you can find!
A Hack for Caramelizing Onions
Caramelizing onions on the stove can be labor-intensive. Who wants to stand by the stove and babysit a bunch of onions? Not me! That’s why I use a handy technique I learned when I was a personal chef: oven-roasted caramelized onions. The whole process happens inside the oven, inside a cast iron skillet. The hardest thing you’ll have to do for this dish is cut the onions without weeping.
A Stanley Tucci-Inspired Pissaladière Recipe
Sara Haas
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 medium sweet onions, halved and sliced
- All-purpose flour, as needed for rolling
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup Niçoise olives, pitted
- 2 ounces canned anchovies
- Dried thyme leaves, for garnishing
Instructions
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