Pissaladiere By Melissa Darabian Recipes

BERRY PAVLOVAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a large sheet of parchment.
• In a food processor, pulse the sugar to make it fine (or use extra-fine sugar) and set aside. In a medium glass bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric mixer on low speed until foamy, not quite making peaks. Add half of the sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. In a small bowl, sift the remaining sugar with the cornstarch. Add to the egg whites along with the vanilla and vinegar and blend until incorporated.
• Spoon the mixture into 4 piles on the prepared baking sheet. Use a spoon to create a well in each pile. Bake for 40 minutes, and then turn off the oven and leave the pavlovas in the oven untouched for another 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• Meanwhile, whip the cream until it makes soft peaks. Top the cooled pavlovas with the whipped cream and strawberries. Make a quick sauce by thinning the jam with the hot water and drizzle over the pavlovas. Serve.

PISSALADIERE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Knead dough lightly, and place it on lightly floured surface; sprinkle it with a little more flour, and cover with plastic wrap or towel. Let rest while oven heats and you cook the onions.
• Place olive oil in large skillet, and turn heat to medium-high. Add onions, along with some salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions give up their liquid and become quite soft, at least 15 minutes; do not allow onions to brown. When they are cooked, turn off heat and stir in thyme.
• Pat or roll out dough as thinly as possible to diameter of 12 inches, using more flour or oil as necessary. The process will be easier if you allow dough to rest occasionally between rollings. If you have a pizza stone in your oven, place dough on a floured peel, or long-handled board; if you do not, lay dough on baking sheet brushed lightly with olive oil. Let dough rest for 15 to 30 minutes, or until it begins to puff ever so slightly.
• Spread dough with onions, and then decorate, if you like, with anchovies, olives, and tomato. Bake until nicely crisp, 15 minutes or more; if tart is browning unevenly, rotate it back to front about halfway through cooking time. Serve hot or at room temperature.

PISSALADIèRE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F, with a pizza stone in place if you have one. Knead the dough lightly and place it on a lightly floured surface; sprinkle it with a little more flour and cover it with plastic wrap or a towel. Let it rest while the oven heats and you cook the onions.
• Put the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add the onions and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions give up their liquid and become quite soft, at least 15 minutes; do not allow them to brown. When they are cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the thyme.
• Pat or roll out the dough as thinly as possible, to a diameter of about 12 inches, using more flour or oil as necessary. The process will be easier if you let the dough rest between rollings. If you have a pizza stone in your oven, place the dough on a floured peel or long-handled board; if not, lay the dough on a baking sheet brushed lightly with olive oil. Let the dough rest for 15 to 30 minutes, or until it begins to puff ever so slightly.
• Spread the dough with onions and then decorate, if you like, with anchovies, olives, and tomato. Bake until nicely crisp, 15 minutes or more; if the tart is browning unevenly, rotate it back to front about halfway through the cooking time. Serve hot or at room temperature.
• Omit the tomatoes and olives. In step 2, stir the anchovies into the cooked onions and cook for 5 minutes. Stir a 6-ounce can of tomato paste into the onions and cook for a few more minutes over low heat. Season to taste. Drizzle the rolled-out dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the bottom begins to turn pale golden. Spread the partially baked dough with 1 cup plain bread crumbs, preferably fresh, then spread with the onion mixture. Return to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the bottom is dark golden but not burned and the top is a richly colored caramel. Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes before cutting; best served hot or warm.

PISSALADIERE

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in 1 cup of very warm water in a large bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste and 1 tablespoon oil. Stir in 2 1/2 cups flour, half a cup at a time. Begin kneading dough in bowl, adding more flour to make it soft and not too sticky. Knead about 5 minutes. Cover, and set aside to rise 1 hour.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large skillet. Add onions, 1 teaspoon salt, bay leaf, herbes de Provence and pepper to taste. Cook over low heat until onions start to soften; cover, and cook about 45 minutes, until very soft but not colored. Uncover, remove bay leaf and increase heat briefly to cook off excess liquid.
• Heat oven to 475 degrees. Punch dough down. Roll, and stretch to fit a pizza pan or jellyroll pan greased with remaining oil. Spread with onions. Arrange olives, anchovies and peppers in pattern on top. Bake 20 minutes, cut in squares or wedges and serve.

PISSALADIèRE

Steps:

• Make the filling: Finely chop 2 of the anchovy fillets. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, thyme and chopped anchovy, then cover pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in salt, and continue cooking for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions should be pale golden and very soft; lower the heat if they start to turn dark brown at the edges or stick to the skillet. Use your judgment on timing: Look to the color of the onions to tell you when they're done. Remove from heat and cool completely before using.
• Meanwhile, make the dough: In a medium bowl, sprinkle dry yeast over warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes, then add oil. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt, then stir in yeast mixture with a wooden spoon until combined. Turn bowl's contents out onto a floured surface and knead until uniform and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes. (Flour your hands if necessary to keep dough from sticking.) Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, flip the dough over, cover bowl with a damp cloth and let rest in a draft-free place for 1 hour.
• Lightly oil an 11x17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Working on a floured surface, roll dough into an 11x16-inch rectangle, then transfer it to the oiled baking sheet and press the dough to the sides. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread cooked onions evenly over dough, and top with remaining anchovies and olives. Bake until edges and underside are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PISSALADIèRE

Steps:

• Lightly oil a 17-by-12-inch rimmed baking sheet, and set aside. Roll out dough to a 17-by-12-inch rectangle, and fit into sheet, folding up the edges slightly to form a small lip. Prick dough all over with a fork. Cover with oiled plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F, with a rack in the center. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add thyme and parsley; set aside to cool.
• Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise, and scoop out seeds with a melon baller or small spoon. Slice tomato halves lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick strips; distribute evenly over dough. Arrange the onions on top, then add anchovies in a decorative pattern to form X shapes. Dot with olives. Bake 12 minutes. Rotate sheet, and continue baking until crust is golden, about 15 minutes more. Remove from oven; using a large spatula, transfer to a cutting board. Slice into pieces, and serve warm or at room temperature. Although Pissaladière is best eaten the day it is baked, it can be reheated the next day; place in a 200°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through.
• In a medium bowl, sprinkle sugar and yeast over 1/4 cup warm water. Stir with a fork until sugar and yeast are dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup warm water, along with the oil, salt, and flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir until a dough forms. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface; knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

INDIVIDUAL TIRAMISUS

Steps:

• Place the egg yolks, sugar and wine into a metal bowl. Place the bowl on a pan of barely simmering water, making a double boiler. Whisk the mixture constantly until the mixture becomes foamy and then creamy, doubling in size, about 5 minutes. The mixture should be uncomfortably warm to the touch, but not burning. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• In a small mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes, and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix the Mock Mascarpone cheese with the egg mixture using medium speed until well blended. Fold in the whipped cream.
• Pour the coffee into a wide bowl; briefly dip 3 slices of the pound cake into the coffee, about 3 seconds each side. Transfer to a 6 to 8-ounce parfait glass to create the first layer. Top the slices of cake with a few spoonfuls of the cream filling mixture. Repeat the process with another 3 slices of cake and top with more filling mixture. Repeat the process for the remaining parfait glasses. Dust each dessert with the cocoa. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.
• In a small bowl, cream together the cream cheese, yogurt and vanilla extract with a mixer until well blended. Refrigerate if a firmer texture is desired. Use in recipes as an inexpensive alternative to mascarpone.