A Short (but Very Sweet) Visit From Thordis A.

Pissladiere, the classic savory tart from Southern France, requires LOTS of onions, slow-cooked in olive oil to a melting lusciousness. Our version for Thordis differs from the most traditional version by employing pizza dough instead of puff pastry or a tart crust.

Here's the Cafe Drake HRV version of pissladiere: begin by separating 1 package of refrigerated pizza dough in to two halves; return one half to the fridge or freezer for future use. Allow the pizza dough to come to room temperature (at least 1 hour) while you saute in a large skillet 2 lbs. of thinly sliced onions (yellow, red or mixed) in about 4 T. olive oil. Cook the onions over a low flame, salt lightly, and stir occasionally until the onions have become extremely soft but not carmelized. The process is slow but not laborious; the onions will be ready in 30-40 minutes. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add to the onion 3 cloves minced garlic and a handful of parsley leaves (minced). Now, roll out the pizza dough to a large rectangular shape. Use plenty of flour so that the dough is no longer sticky. Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat fully to 425 degrees F. Carefully - with oven mitts! - remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the dough on the sheet. Cover the dough completely with cooked onions. Arrange over the onions a few black olives (pitted and torn in to pieces), a handful of rinsed capers and a few anchovies (in oil, unrolled and cut into halves). Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over all; likewise red chili flakes. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is crispy and just beginning to brown. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature. Feel free to drizzle with additional olive oil or chopped basil as desired.

Thordis helped us polish off the entire tart - along with roasted eggplant, peppers and tomatoes and a bottle of Prosecco - so we're guessing she enjoyed the pissladiere! We enjoyed most catching up with this dear friend, recently back from a year-long teaching gig in Thailand.