Pissaladière, Provençal Rosé & the Fine Art of Pretending You’re on the French Riviera
- Sylvia Fonalka
- Jan 12
- 6 min read
Pissaladière is what happens when pizza goes to Nice, takes one look at tomato sauce and mozzarella, and calmly says, “Non, merci.”
The word pissaladière doesn’t come out of nowhere (even if its name already raises an eyebrow). It comes from the Niçois pissaladiera, itself derived from pissala (or pissalat), a condiment whose name very elegantly means… "salted fish" (peis salat). Poetry, really.
Originally, pissala was a pungent paste of small salted fish spread directly onto the dough. Only afterward did the onions arrive, cooked slowly and in generous quantities until sweet and silky, softening both the anchovies and any initial hesitation from the eater.
This is a dish born of thrift and intensity: nothing wasted, bold flavours, and names chosen without marketing committees. It may sound austere on paper, but on the plate it’s rich, savoury, and deeply satisfying.
The structure is simple. A thick, bread-like dough (or puff pastry if someone is feeling indulgent) is covered with a near-excessive amount of long-cooked onions. Anchovies are laid on top with deliberate, geometric precision, followed by black Niçoise olives, which arrive to remind you that this dish is coastal, serious, and absolutely not trying to win over children.
From Nice, and shaped by its closeness to Liguria, pissaladière sits comfortably between cultures without needing to justify itself. It’s served warm or at room temperature, as an appetizer, a snack, or a deceptively filling meal.
And if anchovies aren’t your thing, this is not the moment to be brave.
Serve with rosé, sunshine, and a small debate about whether pizza was ever part of the conversation at all.
Wine pairing
Pissaladière is salty, savoury, a little sweet, and proudly Mediterranean, so it needs a wine that can keep up without starting a fight.
Top choice: Dry Provençal Rosé
Crisp, pale, refreshing, and born for this moment. It cuts the olive oil, charms the onions, and makes peace with the anchovies. Think Côtes de Provence or Bandol.
Côtes de Provence is your easygoing, beach-on-a-bottle option or rather driveway camping chair energy if you're in Canada, even when it’s definitely not summer. Most bottles land comfortably between $20–$30, with crowd-pleasers like Domaine Houchart (~$22) and Mirabeau Classic (~$27) delivering crisp, pale, dangerously drinkable relief from the forecast. Feeling fancy? Reach for Château Peyrassol (~$35 and up) and mentally relocate to Saint-Tropez while wearing socks indoors.
Bandol, meanwhile, shows up with structure, depth, and a higher price tag. Expect mid-$30s and up, with icons like Domaine Tempier often $50+. These are rosés (and reds) made from Mourvèdre: serious, layered wines that politely suggest you sit down and pay attention.
In short:
Côtes de Provence = casual escape, lawn chair, winter denial.
Bandol = bolder, richer, "this rosé has something to say."
Also perfect with a small glass of Clairet, if the mood strikes.
Clairet is a deeply coloured rosé (almost a light red) from Bordeaux, made with slightly longer skin contact than rosé but less than red wine. Fruity, low-tannin, and packed with red berry flavours, it’s meant to be enjoyed young and lightly chilled, sitting neatly between rosé and red. It’s also the historical origin of the English word claret.
Also excellent:
Crisp white wines, high acid, no oak drama
Vermentino
Chablis or unoaked Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc
Gewürztraminer
Light reds, if you insist
Keep it chillable and polite:
Pinot Noir
Gamay / Beaujolais
Bandol red if you’re feeling bold but still civilized.
What to avoid:
Big oak, big tannins, big egos. They make anchovies taste metallic and nobody wins.
Rule of thumb:
Keep it fresh, keep it chilled, and let the onions do the talking.
Our choice was this lovely bottle of rosé, because it tastes like sunshine, behaves beautifully with food, and instantly makes any meal feel like it’s happening somewhere far more glamorous than our actual location.
Peyrassol Les Commandeurs ROSÉ 2024 AOP Côtes de Provence
Backed by decades of Provençal winemaking experience, Peyrassol takes quality very seriously: great terroirs, beautiful grapes, and close collaboration with trusted growers. As of this vintage, they’ve gone fully organic, proving that doing the right thing can also taste very good. This rosé is the perfect introduction to the Peyrassol style: bright, fruity, light on its feet, and dangerously easy to drink - basically summer in a bottle.
The 2024 vintage had just enough drama to be interesting (winter rain, a bit of spring frost, no apocalyptic heatwaves), resulting in grapes that ripened slowly and evenly. The wine is pale, fresh, and aromatic, with notes of wild berries, citrus, a hint of bergamot, and a subtle spicy edge. Crisp, refreshing, and versatile, it pairs effortlessly with sunshine, good company, and the strong belief that one glass will definitely turn into two.
Founded in the 13th century by the Knights Templar (yes, those Knights Templar), La Commanderie de Peyrassol sits dramatically between the Mediterranean Sea and the Verdon, at the foothills of the Massif des Maures. The estate spans nearly 850 hectares of oak forests, olive groves, and garrigue (low, wild Mediterranean plants that smell like herbs, sun, and vacation) - nature’s way of lovingly guarding the historic and highly regarded Château Peyrassol vineyard at its heart.
Owned by Philippe Austruy since 2001, the estate produces elegant, organically certified AOP Côtes de Provence wines that take their job very seriously (but are still great fun to drink). Peyrassol is also home to an impressive contemporary art collection, because apparently wine alone wasn’t ambitious enough. Visitors are welcome to come for gourmet dining, vineyard strolls, Provençal stays, weddings, seminars or, ideally, all of the above. Welcome to Peyrassol, where history multitasks beautifully.
The Art Collection
Scattered through the vines, gardens, wooded paths, and dedicated exhibition spaces, monumental works by leading 20th- and 21st-century artists appear when you least expect them. With new acquisitions, artist residencies, and rotating exhibitions, the estate stays as creatively alive as it is delicious.
More about this wine and the estate on the producer's official website.
Traditional Pissaladière from Nice
Serves 6–8 | Prep time: 30 minutes + 1 hour (fermentation) | Cook time: 25 minutes
A recipe with history, simplicity, and a very good sense of taste.
If you’re looking for the edible soul of Nice, you’re exactly where you should be.
Here, there are no frills. Just slow-cooked onions, pissalat (anchovy paste), black olives, and a soft, herb-scented bread dough. Nothing more. This is the South of France, in its most authentic form.
Ingredients
For the topping
1 kg / 2.2 lb onions
2 tbsp olive oil
2 sprigs fresh thyme
About 20 oil-packed anchovies
2 tbsp anchovy paste or homemade pissalat*
About 20 black olives (Niçoise-style)
*Homemade pissalat substitute: blend 4 small oil-packed sardines with 8 anchovy fillets.
For the bread dough
300 g / 2½ cups all-purpose flour
170 ml / ¾ cup room-temperature water
7g / 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
1 heaping tsp salt
1 tbsp Herbes de Provence
Instructions
Prepare the Onion Topping
Peel and thinly slice the onions. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan, add the onions and thyme, and cook gently over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft, silky, and lightly caramelized.
Stir in the anchovy paste (or homemade pissalat), mix well, then remove from heat and let cool.
While the onions are cooking, prepare the dough.
Prepare the Dough
Mix all ingredients, then knead thoroughly until the dough is soft and elastic, about 15 minutes. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
Assemble & Bake
Preheat the oven to 210°C / 410°F.
Roll out the dough on a baking sheet lined with lightly floured parchment paper. Spread the cooled onion mixture evenly over the dough. Drain a bit the anchovies on paper towel and arrange them over the onions. Scatter the black olives on top.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the crust is golden.
Serve warm or at room temperature with a mixed green side salad and vinegrette.
The Secret Ingredient: Pissalat
Pissalat - literally "salted fish" in Niçois - is a historic regional condiment made from fermented anchovies and sardines, seasoned, then finely ground into a rich, aromatic paste. Traditionally homemade, it was once a staple in Niçoise kitchens.
True artisanal pissalat is now hard to find outside the region, but this simple homemade version comes wonderfully close:
Blend 4 small oil-packed sardines + 8 anchovy fillets until smooth.
This intensely savoury base gives pissaladière its depth, natural umami, and unmistakable authenticity—a salty madeleine for true lovers of Niçoise cuisine.
Happy sipping and savouring!
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