Sweet Onion, Swiss Chard & Ricotta Flatbread
Hors-d’œuvre in French literally means “outside the work”—that is, not part of the ordinary set of courses in a meal. In practice, it is a dish which stands on its own as a snack or supports the main course. They range from rustic chicken liver pâté and cheesy pastry puffs to elegant mushroom tarts and fondue.
Sweet Onion, Swiss Chard & Ricotta Flatbread
A luxurious riff on one of my favorite southern French appetizers, pissaladière- an onion flatbread is usually topped with anchovies. Here, I’ve substituted the fish with black olives and crispy capers to bring a similar salt and savory to this sweet onion snack. It is traditionally served without cheese, but a rich cheesy layer helps to cut through the sweetness of the onions. PRO-TIP: The onions and Swiss chard can be cooked and steamed in advance. They will keep three days in the refrigerator. (Recipe: Shawnie Kelley)
- Serves
- 6-8
Directions
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Preheat the oven to the frozen or pre-made dough’s required temperature.
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In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers.
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Add the onions, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic.
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Cook, stirring often, until tender and just beginning to lightly caramelize, about 15 minutes.
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Turn the heat to low and cook another 10, stirring often, until the onions are a golden brown,sweet and soft.
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Remove from the heat.
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In a separate pan, bring water to a boil and add the steamer insert.
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Steam the chard for two to three minutes until wilted. Drain water and using a paper towel press water from the chard.
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If using pre-made or frozen pizza dough, thaw and roll out the pizza dough to 1/4-inch thickness in an oblong oval shape.
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Lightly dust you pizza pan or stone with medium coarse cornmeal or semolina flour.
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Place the flatbread or dough on the pan.
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Directions often require pre-baking the dough for ten minutes before adding the toppings.
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Follow baking instructions as to how to prepare it.
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In a bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, egg yolk and chopped chard.
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Lightly drizzle the flatbread (or dough) dough with olive oil and spread the crust with an even layer of the cheese chard mixture.
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Spread the onions generously over the flatbread and top with artfully arranged olives and crisped capers.
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Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until crispy bits appear on the crust and onions.
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Remove from the oven and set aside until cool. Remove to a cooling rack after a few minutes.
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Serve room-temperature (or warmed), sliced into small squares.
From Shawnie's class “Culinary Crossroads: Global Appetizers”
