Tarte provençale

Provence's tomato tart: ripe tomatoes layered over a mustard-brushed shortcrust pastry base with thyme, black olives, anchovies and olive oil, baked until the tomatoes caramelise and the pastry is golden: the concentrated flavours of a Provençal summer in a single slice

Origin: Provence, France

From the journey of Tomato.

The tarte provençale is one of the great expressions of Provençal cooking: a cuisine defined by its insistence on using vegetables at their seasonal peak and allowing the olive oil, garlic, anchovies and herbs of the Midi to amplify rather than obscure natural flavour. The tart is essentially a vehicle for summer tomatoes: the pastry base provides a neutral, butter-enriched platform; the mustard brushed onto the base acts as a moisture barrier and flavour bridge; the tomatoes; sliced, salted, and sometimes pre-dried to concentrate their juices; are layered in precise concentric circles and baked until their edges caramelise. The anchovy fillets draped across the surface dissolve into the tomatoes during baking, leaving behind their salt and umami without any fishy taste. The black olives (Niçoise or black Provençal olives) provide further salt and a rich, fermented depth. The combination of tomatoes, mustard, anchovies, olives, thyme and olive oil is the Provençal pantry distilled to its essence: the same combination appears in the region's pasta sauces, pizzas (pissaladière), and braised dishes. This tart is served at room temperature, never hot, and improves as it sits.

Ingredients

Pastry

200 g plain flour
100 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 pinch fine sea salt
tbsp ice-cold water

Base

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

Filling

700 g ripe tomatoes (about 5 medium), sliced 7mm thick
1 tsp fine sea salt (for salting the tomatoes)
8 fillets anchovies in olive oil
60 g black olives (Niçoise or Kalamata), pitted
4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced

Method

Make the pastry: rub the cold butter into the flour and salt until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some larger butter pieces remaining. Add ice water a tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork until the dough just comes together; do not overwork. Shape into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Lay the tomato slices on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the sea salt and leave for 20–30 minutes. Pat dry thoroughly with kitchen paper. This removes excess water that would make the tart base soggy.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Roll the chilled pastry to line a 26cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Prick the base all over with a fork, line with baking paper and baking beans, and blind-bake for 15 minutes. Remove beans and paper, bake a further 5 minutes until the base is pale gold and dry.
Brush the warm pastry base evenly with the Dijon mustard. Scatter the sliced garlic over the base.
Arrange the dried tomato slices in overlapping concentric circles across the base, starting from the outside and working inward. Lay the anchovy fillets in a lattice or spoke pattern over the tomatoes. Scatter the olives between the tomatoes. Strip the thyme leaves over the top.
Drizzle the olive oil generously over the entire tart. Bake at 200°C for 25–30 minutes until the tomatoes are caramelised at the edges, slightly collapsed, and the pastry is deeply golden. Cool for 15 minutes before unmoulding. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

The mustard base is the secret that many recipes omit. Without it, the tomato juice soaks directly into the pastry and makes it wet. With it, you get a crisp, intact base and a layer of flavour complexity that elevates the entire tart.

The Gastrographer

Name: Tarte provençale
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 200 g plain flour; 100 g cold unsalted butter, cubed; 1 pinch fine sea salt; tbsp ice-cold water; 2 tbsp Dijon mustard; 700 g ripe tomatoes (about 5 medium), sliced 7mm thick; 1 tsp fine sea salt (for salting the tomatoes); 8 fillets anchovies in olive oil; 60 g black olives (Niçoise or Kalamata), pitted; 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme); 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control