This cheats pissaladière swaps the traditional anchovies for bokkoms, giving a French classic a distinctly South African West Coast character. It is built on a toasted baguette rather than a pastry or pizza base, which makes it fast, accessible, and completely delicious. The slow-cooked onions are sweet and silky, the bokkoms are salty and intensely savoury, and the two together on crispy bread are one of those combinations that is hard to stop eating.

Bokkoms in Bokkoom Laan, Velddrif, West Coast

Bokkoms are dried, salted harders, a small mullet-like fish that has been caught and dried on the West Coast of South Africa for centuries. They are deeply pungent and fishy in their raw state, but cook into sauces and butter in much the same way as anchovies: they melt into the fat, losing their sharpness and adding an extraordinary depth of savoury flavour. If you have never cooked with them before, this is the ideal starting point.

Where the Idea Came From

The first time I ate bokkoms was at Wolfgat in Paternoster, where diners are presented with a cloth bag of freshly baked bread and a pan of bubbling bokkom butter with seaweed. It was one of those food moments that stays with you.

The second time was in Velddrif, the home of the bokkom, where you see them drying in the sun everywhere. We were served a few shards with white bread and butter, the traditional West Coast way. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed them and how immediately they reminded me of anchovies.

The pissaladière itself was inspired by Franck Dangereux of The Foodbarn, who made mini bokkom pissaladière pastry tartlets and a bokkom aillade served with crudités. Both were completely delicious and the idea stayed with me. The ABALOBI app was the context for that meal, a remarkable initiative that connects the fish on your restaurant plate to the exact artisan fisher who caught it.

The Bokkom Butter with Sage

This is worth making even if you skip the pissaladière entirely. Melt 100 grams of butter in a small saucepan over gentle heat with 2 to 3 teaspoons of finely grated or chopped bokkom. When the butter starts to bubble, add 6 to 8 fresh sage leaves and cook for a few seconds until they sizzle and release their aromatics. Serve immediately with fresh bread for dipping. The sage can be scooped up with the butter. It is inspired directly by what I ate at Wolfgat and it is one of the simplest and most satisfying things you can make.

How to Use Bokkoms

Bokkoms have very fine, small bones that become crunchy when dried. Finely chopped, they cook beautifully into the onions and butter and lose any textural issue entirely. For the finishing garnish, grate them on a microplane for a light, savoury dusting that adds flavour without texture.

As this was my first time working with bokkoms in a recipe, the quantities here are a starting point. They are intensely salty, so add them gradually and taste as you go. The slow-cooked onions are sweet enough to balance a generous amount.

If you want to make a version without bokkoms, follow this recipe with anchovies instead, or try my no-knead focaccia shallot pissaladière.

Prep Time:10

Cook Time:45

Ingredients

1 medium baguette cut in half horizontally
A generous splash of olive oil
4 large white onions peeled and thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves finely chopped or crushed
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
3 bay leaves optional
3 to 4 Tbsp finely chopped bokkom approximately 1 small bokkom, plus extra for grating
A small handful of pitted black Kalamata olives halved (approximately 8 to 10)
Micro greens to serve optional

Instructions

Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, thyme and chopped bokkom. Reduce the heat and cook slowly for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onions are very soft and lightly golden. Do not let them brown. Season with a little white pepper.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Slice the baguette in half lengthways and divide the onion mixture evenly between the two halves, spreading it in a generous layer. Dot the olive halves along the top.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and crisp.
Finish with a very fine dusting of grated bokkom using a microplane, and scatter over micro greens if using. Serve immediately.

Notes

Add the bokkoms gradually and taste as you go. They are intensely salty and a little goes a long way. Finely grating the bokkom on a microplane for the garnish removes any textural concern and gives a clean, savoury finish. If you cannot find bokkoms, substitute with anchovies using the same quantity.

Storage: Best eaten immediately while the baguette is still crisp. Leftover onion mixture keeps in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days and can be reheated gently before using.

Servings: 2

Author: Sam Linsell