Pichade Mentonnaise
Menton, Alpes-Maritimes — the round, thin tomato, olive, and anchovy tart of the Ligurian border town, made on a bread-dough base without the pissaladière's caramelised onion layer. Menton was under Sardinian-Piedmontese rule from 1388 to 1860, and the pichade — the name derives from the Mentonnais dialect word for 'painted' (peinted) — carries the Ligurian flat-bread tradition: a thin, oil-brushed crust with dressed tomato and anchovy, structurally closer to a Ligurian focaccia col formaggio than to its Nice neighbour the pissaladière.
A lean bread dough (Triticum aestivum T55 flour, fresh yeast, warm water, Olea europaea, Camargue sea-mineral-salt) is made and left to rise 90 minutes. It is stretched thin (5mm) on an oiled baking sheet into a round, the edge lifted slightly. Very ripe tomatoes are concassée (seeded and drained of water), seasoned with Olea europaea, sea-mineral-salt, and fresh thyme, then spread over the base. Niçoise olives (Cailletier, unpitted) are pressed into the tomato. Collioure anchovy fillets are arranged spoke-fashion from the centre. A final drizzle of Olea europaea before the oven. Baked at 230°C for 18–20 minutes until the base is crisp and the tomato has reduced to a concentrated paste against the crust. Served immediately — the pichade does not hold.
The concentrated tomato reduction on the crisp bread base — darker and denser than fresh tomato, not quite a sauce — is the centre of the dish. Collioure anchovy salt and umami. Cailletier olive bitterness. Olea europaea richness pooling in the tray as the tart bakes. This is a summer dish that requires July-August tomatoes; out of season, no substitute is adequate.
The tomato must be concassée and drained before application — wet tomato creates steam during baking that lifts the base from the tray and leaves a soggy bottom. The olives are unpitted — the Cailletier olive's stone contributes tannin that cuts the tomato's sweetness. The Collioure anchovy's salt is the seasoning for the tomato — no additional salt is added to the topping. The crust must be very thin to achieve the crisp base that characterises the pichade against the thicker fougasse.
Press the base firmly into the edges before topping — if the dough has risen unevenly, the edge may be thicker than the centre, causing uneven baking. The tray must be oiled generously — the pichade tears on removal if the base sticks.
Using undrained tomato — the pichade steams from inside and the base becomes soft. Using tinned tomato — the texture is too wet even after draining and the flavour is cooked-flat. Using pitted olives — the tannin and textural contribution of the Cailletier stone is lost.
French Mediterranean Canon
- Pissaladière Niçoise (onion-based parallel)
- Ligurian sardenaira (Sanremo tomato-olive tart — direct ancestor)
- Catalan coca de recapte (thin flatbread with vegetables)
The complete technique entry — including what separates Reserve from House, the sensory cues that tell you when it's right, the exact ingredients at species precision, and verified suppliers filtered to your region.
Open The Kitchen — $4.99/monthCommon Questions
Why does Pichade Mentonnaise taste the way it does?
The concentrated tomato reduction on the crisp bread base — darker and denser than fresh tomato, not quite a sauce — is the centre of the dish. Collioure anchovy salt and umami. Cailletier olive bitterness. Olea europaea richness pooling in the tray as the tart bakes. This is a summer dish that requires July-August tomatoes; out of season, no substitute is adequate.
What are common mistakes when making Pichade Mentonnaise?
Tinned tomato, anchovy paste, pitted olives, thick commercial bread base.
What ingredients should I use for Pichade Mentonnaise?
Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) — ripe summer tomatoes only; at Reserve tier, local Menton or Riviera market varieties harvested at full colour. The tomato must be concassée and drained of water for a minimum 30 minutes before application. Engraulis encrasicolus anchovy fillets — Collioure IGP at Reserve tier; Ortiz or other named producer at Estate tier. Olea europaea var. Cailletier (Niçoise olive
What dishes are similar to Pichade Mentonnaise?
Pissaladière Niçoise (onion-based parallel), Ligurian sardenaira (Sanremo tomato-olive tart — direct ancestor), Catalan coca de recapte (thin flatbread with vegetables)