2000s Recipes + Menus

Onion Anchovy Galette

Serves6 (light main course) or 12 (hors d’oeuvre)
  • Active time:40 min
  • Start to finish:3 1/4 hr
December 2008
A take on the Provençal tart known as pissaladière, this galette can be served as an hors d’oeuvre or, with a salad, as a light lunch. It gets fullness of flavor from a tangle of sweet caramelized onions that tops a smear of tomato paste enlivened with garlic and anchovies (left over from Mediterranean Eggplant Relish). A flaky homemade pastry crust ups the richness even more.

For pastry

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 to 5 tablespoons ice water

For filling

  • 2 large onions (2 lb total), sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 5 to 6 anchovy fillets
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled

Make dough:

  • Blend together flour, butter, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps.
  • Drizzle 3 Tbsp ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in processor) until incorporated.
  • Squeeze a small handful: If it doesnt hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 Tbsp at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork mixture or pastry will be tough.)
  • Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together, with a pastry or bench scraper if you have one, and press into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Caramelize onions while dough chills:

  • Cook onions in oil and butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 30 minutes.

Fill and bake galette:

  • Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
  • Finely chop anchovies and garlic together. Stir together with tomato paste and thyme.
  • Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round. Transfer to a parchment-lined large baking sheet.
  • Spread tomato-anchovy mixture over dough, leaving a 2-inch border along edge, then arrange onions on top. Fold edges of dough inward. Bake until pastry is golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Cooks’ notes:
  • Dough can be chilled up to 3 days.
  • Onions can be caramelized 1 day ahead and chilled.
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