Mini Pissaladieres
This very old dish from the Mediterranean
coast of France might be called a pizza with a French accent, and it's
still much enjoyed locally. Add these to any cold buffet along with a
huge tossed salad, or cut them into quarters and pass with drinks.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pizza dough for 2 large pies (about 2 pounds), cut into six 6-inch
rounds (recipe follows)
Cornmeal
6 anchovy fillets, rinsed, dried, and minced, or more to taste
1/2 cup oil-cured olives, halved, pitted,
and, if you like, sliced
Preheat the oven to 425F.
Heat the oil in a medium-size heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the
onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are very tender and
golden brown but not burned, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the garlic and
cook 3 minutes. Stir in the thyme and oregano and season very well with
salt and pepper.
Arrange the rounds of pizza dough on 2 baking sheets that have been
sprinkled with cornmeal. Divide the onion mixture among the rounds,
spreading it to within 1/4 inch of the edges. Sprinkle each woth
anchovies and olives.
Bake the rounds until the crust is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool
the pissaladieres to room temperature to serve.
Variation: roll or pull half the pizza dough into one 12 to 14-inch
round. Spread the onion mixture on the dough, leaving a 1-inch rim. Do
not mince the anchovies, but arrange them like the spokes of a wagon
wheel in the center of the pie. Decorate with the olives.
Pizza Dough
There is very good commercial pizza dough
available nearly everywhere. If you feel inclined to make your own, try
this recipe.
Makes two 12-inch pizzas
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (about 110F)
3 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for greasing
In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water, stirring until
foamy. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the 3 1/4 cups flour and the salt. Stir in
the yeast mixture and the olive oil, beating until a stiff dough forms.
Add a little additional flour if the dough is too sticky to handle.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled bowl and brush the surface with
a little additional olive oil. Cover the dough lightly with a clean
towel and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk, up to 1 hour.
Punch down the dough and divide it into 2 rounds. Roll it out or
stretch it on a lightly floured work surface into two 12-inch rounds
and proceed with the main recipe.
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