I picked up 20 pounds of Walla Walla onions last week–an annual perk from our bank. This gift comes every year in July but receiving the postcard inviting me to reserve my bags of onions never fails to feel like a huge windfall. Since the season for this sweeter variety of onions is fleeting (the onions grow in a low sulfur soil area lending to their sweetness and in turn a shorter shelf life) I try to enjoy the onions in as many dishes as I can. There’s really no need to cook them at all–their sweetness and crisp texture makes them a delight as is–but 2o pounds leaves a lot of room for experimentation.Walla Walla onions are grown primarily in the Pacific Northwest and are actually a different strain of onion than the ordinary yellow and white onions that are available in our markets year round. The sweet onion seeds were brought to the Walla Walla valley by a soldier from the French island of Corsica (one of my favorite places, ever) in the late 1800s. Italian immigrant farmers liked their mild, sweet flavor and their winter hardiness and started growing them. They have been grown on small farms between the Columbia and Snake Rivers and the Blue Mountains since.Over the last few days these sweet onions have made their way into almost every meal. They’ve been added mostly to salads but I’ve pickled several of them, too. In a couple of days I will be able to enjoy the batch with sandwiches and even more salads.For Sunday night dinner I decided on one of my go-to onion preparations: caramelizing them. Slow cooking already sweet onions makes them almost like candy after being on the stove for a half hour. I originally had in mind to prepare a pissaladiére, a French onion tart with caramelized onions, garlic, olives and anchovies but I had pizza dough that needed to be used. I rounded out the ingredients with other items I already had at home–feta cheese, sage and of course anchovies (I meant to add olives, too, but forgot). This pizza still maintains some of the elements of a classic pissaladiére but I made it my own and I was very happy with the outcome.I’m not embarrassed to admit that my pizza dough came from Trader Joe’s. I used to make my own (a great recipe from Mario Batali) but when I read a recommendation from one of my pizza books that the TJ’s version is also good, I’ve used it since. Feel free to make your own and if you have pointers on how to make a super-thin crust, I’m all ears. That might be the only reason I’d go back to making my own pizza dough again. Feel free to omit the anchovies if they’re not your thing but I really like them in pizzas. Their saltiness offers a nice balance to the sweet onions here. The sage leaves crisp up a bit in the oven and lend a bit of freshness to the deep flavor of the aforementioned two ingredients and the feta cheese. A final drizzle of olive oil before serving and a carafe of wine on the side, I had a wonderful bistro-style dinner.
Caramelized Onion, Feta and Sage Pizza
This pizza is inspired by Pissaladiére, a French onion tart but my addition of Feta cheese and sage ought to make this a new classic.
Author: Lemons & Anchovies
Recipe type: Main Dish
Ingredients
- 1 recipe pizza dough (I used Trader Joe's; one bag makes two personal pizzas. Feel free to make your own)
- 3 onions, sliced
- Fresh sage leaves (as many as you want)
- Feta cheese (as much or as little as you want)
- Anchovies (about 2-3 per pizza but you can leave out if you like)
- Olive oil
- kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare your pizza dough or if you are using store-bought like I am, take the TJ's dough out of the bag and let it rest on a lightly-floured surface for about a half hour before you divide it and roll it out. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. If you have a pizza stone, put it in the oven as you preheat it, on the middle rack.
- While the dough rests and the oven preheats, prepare the caramelized onions. Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook over medium heat for about 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally until they're deep brown and caramelized. I added a pinch or two of kosher salt 5 minutes before I turned off the heat. If you find that medium heat is not evaporating the liquid from the onions quickly enough, raise the heat to medium high. This will yield about 1½ cups of cooked onions so you'll have a little extra for other dishes.
- To prepare the pizza, divide your dough in two and roll out with a rolling pin (or press by hand). Transfer to a pizza peel sprinkled with corn meal and arrange the toppings on the dough.
- Begin by brushing olive oil to the top of the dough then add one layer of caramelized onions. Sprinkle some feta cheese then add the anchovies and scatter the sage leaves on top.
- Transfer the pizza to the pizza stone and bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are golden. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil before serving.
FAQs
Ricotta or mozzarella cheeses, in particular, are good on anchovy pizza because of their taste. Make sure you don't use any salty cheeses like Parmesan. Adding anchovies to salty cheeses might result in a very salty dish. Use something to offset the fish's saltiness if at all possible.
What is the name of the pizza with anchovies? ›
The act of putting anchovies on bread, in Italy, actually predates pizza! Ancient Romans used a condiment called garum, a fermented fish product, and ate it on top of flatbread.
Can you put tinned anchovies on pizza? ›
The fastest, easiest way to make this umami bomb of a pizza: Top any premade, tomato-sauced pizza—from the store or delivered—with tinned white anchovies. If you want to make your own pizza, here's a quick method. You don't need a pizza stone or pizza peel; a couple of baking sheets will work fine.
What kind of fish goes on pizza? ›
Arrange shrimp, anchovies and scallops on cheeses. Sprinkle basil, pepper and garlic over seafood.
Do Italians put anchovies on pizza? ›
But anchovy pizza (or a dish very similar to it) actually has a long history in Italian cuisine. The irony of these survey results is that anchovies are a traditional pizza topping in Italy, and have been for far longer than Americans have been eating any iteration of the dish.
What cheese pairs with anchovies? ›
Anchovies: original pairings
Toasted bread, de-salted anchovies, slightly mature goat's cheese and acacia honey. Because the intense taste of the sea teams up well with cheese, with fattiness mitigating and honey compensating the end result.
Why are anchovies not on pizza anymore? ›
These are also two of the most popular toppings in Italy, along with proscuitto, figs and spicy salami. In America, more and more pizzerias have stopped offering anchovies, because they weren't very popular. As one pizza guy told me, “I bought a can in 1989. After 30 years, I figured it was time to toss 'em.”
What is Italian slang for anchovies? ›
They're often indiscriminately referred to as alici or acciughe, two words defining the same thing, even though the former should technically refer to the fillets preserved in vegetable oil and the latter the whole fish, usually packed in salt.
Are anchovies on pizza healthy? ›
Anchovies have many vitamins and minerals that provide major health benefits. They are best known as a source of omega-3 fatty acids, which promote brain and heart health. Anchovies also have selenium, which, if eaten regularly, may reduce the risk of some types of cancer.
How to make anchovies taste good? ›
Here are some things to try:
- Add them to your tomato sauce—cook anchovies with some garlic and olive oil before adding your tomatoes for a tasty pasta sauce.
- Use it in rubs for meat—mash or blend up garlic, an anchovy, rosemary, and lemon zest for an amazing rub for lamb chops or steak.
Rinse salt-packed anchovies thoroughly under cold water before using them to get rid of the excess salt.
Are anchovies and sardines the same? ›
Sardines and Anchovies:
They're entirely different species. Anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus, if you wanted to know) are smaller than sardines (Sardina pilchardus)—4 to 10 inches long compared to 6 to 12. Anchovies are more likely to be salt cured, and the tiny dark-brown filets are sold canned or jarred in olive oil.
What fish do Italians put on pizza? ›
One of the most popular seafood pizzas invented in Italy is Frutti di Mare. Its toppings commonly serve scampi, mussels, or squid on top of a tomato sauce with no cheese.
What pairs well with anchovies on pizza? ›
Ricotta cheese – the neutrality of fresh ricotta is the perfect backdrop for the salty, umami anchovies. Roasted red peppers – their sweetness and unique flavor embrace the contribution of cured anchovies. Garlic – grate a clove or two and mix it with the anchovies to make a paste.
What does Sicilian pizza have? ›
The original, authentic version from Sicily comes from Palermo and is called sfincione, which loosely translates as "thick sponge." Sicilian pizza has a fluffy, spongy bread base topped with a meatless sauce made from tomatoes, onions, herbs, and anchovies, which is covered with breadcrumbs and an optional grating of ...
What tastes good with anchovies? ›
Now that you know the secret, experiment! Anchovies pair well with broccoli, hardy greens like kale and chard, briny things like olives and capers, and lots and lots of Parmesan. If you're an anchovy amateur, start with fewer than the recipe suggests. I'm pretty sure you'll work your way up.
Are anchovies a popular pizza topping? ›
The nation's least favorite pizza topping is anchovies: 29% say it's their least favorite.
Do people still put anchovies on pizza? ›
“It's a long story, but yes—people like anchovies,” Abraham says. “We have a lot of Italian customers.” “It's a mind blown kind of thing,” Rodriguez adds, referring to those who first realize that anchovies are important to a Caesar salad and can do more. So it is indeed OK to put anchovies on pizza.
How do Italians use anchovies? ›
They are also widely preserved, salted and canned to use in a variety of ways, on pizza, on bread, and in pasta sauces. Following an ancient Roman recipe for garum, modern Italians along the southern coasts brine anchovies and allow them to age in wooden barrels.
