Pastry baking #1 - Pissaladiere

  

 

 

Sour cream pastry 

(adapted from a Maggie Beer recipe)

• 250g plain flour (we used local flour from Cummins Milling)
• 200g unsalted butter
• 125ml sour cream (if you don't have sour cream use cream and add a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar)

Combine the flour and butter in a food processor until it looks crumbly and then add the sour cream until it forms a ball - tip onto a bench and combine gently.  Leave to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Roll out into the shape of your baking tray and leave to rest in the fridge until you're ready to put the topping on.

This dough is so delicious - buttery and flaky and we used it today for making a pissaladiere as well as some fruit flans.  (see next post)

Pissaladiere

This classic dish from Nice in southern France makes a perfect meal with its hearty flavour, accompanied by a green salad and a glass of rose you can't go wrong.

 Ingredients for the topping

• brown onions
• anchovies
• fresh thyme
• black olives
• olive oil
• a dash of balsamic vinegar

Chop the onions into rings.  Splash a good dollop of olive oil into a large frying pan and cook the onions on low heat, stirring continually until they're well cooked but still retain their shape and only just catching the bottom of the pan.  Add a splash of balsamic vinegar just to flavour them.  
Place the onions on the uncooked pastry base and arrange the anchovies in a criss cross pattern and place an olive in the centre of each diamond.  Sprinkle some fresh thyme over the top.

Bake in a moderately hot oven for about 20 - 25 minutes.


March 2015  - Marion's place