Tarte de Mentone

Chef David Kinch and team
Mentone, Aptos

Often compared to pizza, pissaladière is “a casual hand snack when one is cruising the coastal roads of Nice,” Mentone general manager Chris Sullivan says. “Salty, savory, sweet. Pairs perfectly with a nice glass of rosé.”

Ingredients

Filling and topping
4 yellow onions
2 garlic cloves
150 grams extra virgin olive oil
3 sprigs thyme
3 sprigs marjoram
100 grams white/sweet vermouth
Salt and white pepper, to taste
Anchovies and Taggiasca olives

Dough
210 grams warm water
7 grams yeast
90 grams extra virgin olive oil
420 grams flour
9 grams salt

Instructions

Slice onions and garlic thin. Add olive oil to a pot. Cook onions and garlic until translucent and lightly colored. Tie herb sprigs in a bundle of cheesecloth, add with vermouth to onion mixture and reduce. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine warm water and yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add olive oil. Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Pour in water mixture and knead dough until smooth and elastic. Let proof at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch down and roll out to fit sheet tray.

Dough should be about 1/4 inch thick. Let proof for 45 minutes. Add filling and bake at 400 degrees until dough is lightly browned and cooked. Top with anchovies and olives. Slice to serve.

Serves 4 to 6

Pro tip from Michelin-starred chef David Kinch: “All measurements are in metric by weight, including liquids. Why? Did you know a cup of flour weighs differently on a rainy day and a dry day? If you weigh the flour, it is always the right amount. The best kitchen tool one can buy nowadays is a $10 digital scale. Try it. Weighing all ingredients including liquids is done in every professional kitchen today. You will soon find it easier, more efficient and simpler than using old imperial measurements.”