Chef notes
Hailing from Provence, France, this Pissaladière pie is a bit like a French pizza. The crispy yet durable Olive Oil Pastry is a great canvas for whatever toppings you have in the fridge or garden.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2/3 cup lukewarm water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 large red onions, very thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons thyme leaves, plus a few sprigs for garnish
- "0.5 to 1" is not a number. teaspoon finely chopped fresh red chile (like fresnos), to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 raw pork and fennel sausages
- 10 1/2 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 12 to 16 black olives, pitted and halved
Preparation
For the Olive Oil Pastry:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, combine the oil and water together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix with a knife until the dough comes together; it should be soft and supple. Cover and allow the dough to rest for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge.
For the Pissaladière:
In a large frying pan, heat the oil, then add the onions, garlic, thyme and red chile. Season with salt and pepper and cook over a low heat until all the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes). Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. (Note: This will keep in the fridge for at least a week.)
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut a sheet of parchment paper so it is the same size as a 13- by 15-inch baking tray. Set aside the parchment paper. Place the baking tray in the oven to preheat—this will ensure a crisp base).
Place the parchment paper on a clean bench and roll out Olive Oil Pastry on top until it is the same size as the baking paper. Fold in the edges of the dough by a half-inch to form a raised border.
Spread the cooled onion mixture over the pastry. Remove the skins from the raw sausages and discard.
Tear the sausages into small nuggets and arrange over the pie.
Squeeze out the juices from the cherry tomatoes (this will prevent the pastry from getting soggy). Top the pie with the cherry tomatoes and olives. Garnish with sprigs of thyme.
Slip the baking paper and pissaladière onto the preheated baking tray and bake until crisp and golden, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or cold.
