PREPARATION:

For the pissaladiere:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Put a sheet of puff pastry on a sheet pan and spread it out a little leaving an extra thick crust on the edges (like a pizza).
3. Lay out your ingredients on your puff pastry. Again, think of this as a pizza. Spread out threads of the caramelized onions, herbs, chopped anchovies, and of course, your olives. If you don't have one of these ingredients on hand, it shouldn't matter.
4. Pop it into the oven for about 15 minutes but keep an eye on it after 10 minutes. You'll know it is done when the pastry has risen and puffed up a lot and is a nice golden brown. Add some freshly cracked pepper, some nice finishing sea salt, and the lemon zest when it comes out of the oven.

For the caramelized onions:

1. Heat up your oven to 375 degrees. Get an oven-safe skillet onto a medium flame and add the olive oil and the butter. When melted and hot add in the sliced onions (red/Spanish onions are my favorite) and stir them with a wooden spoon. Hit them with a pinch of salt and pepper.
2. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Don't brown them, just let them sweat and get golden throughout. Add your thyme leaves (other herbs work too), your lemon zest, and pour in the wine.
3. Let it reduce by about one-third and add the vinegar and brown sugar, stir again and put the pan in the oven for about 15 minutes.
4. Stir them up every five minutes or so. The liquid in the pan is going to reduce and thicken into a syrup. You'll smell it when it's done, an incredible perfume will start wafting through your kitchen. Be careful, these are as hot as lava and will burn you. Be careful tasting them, let them cool thoroughly before handling. Make a big batch since you can keep these in a jar in your fridge for weeks.

Watch the video

1. Organic A to Z: O is for Olives