Chef's Recipes

Coca de recapte

Australian Gourmet Traveller Spanish recipe for coca de recapte (Catalan flatbread) by Frank Camorra from Movida restaurant.

Sep 21, 2009 4:32am
By Frank Camorra & Richard Cornish
  • 20 mins preparation
  • 40 mins cooking
  • Serves 6
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Coca de recapte (Catalan flatbread)
“For generations, the housewives of Catalonia had a love-hate relationship with the cuina econòmica – a charcoal-burning beast on which they cooked their meals and heated their water and in which they baked their cocas. Cocas are leavened flatbreads that are cooked in a hot oven. Yes, they are similar to pizza, but never tell a Catalan that their coca is a pizza! Topped with whatever was in season, savoury or sweet, the cocas soaked up the high heat of an oven with a freshly made fire. After the fire went down, the rest of the dough went in to make the daily bread. This is a summer version of coca so please feel free to incorporate your own topping of cooked seasonal vegetables.”
Catalan flatbread

Ingredients

  • 12 gm fresh yeast or 2 tsp dried yeast
  • ½ tsp caster sugar
  • 50 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 500 gm (3 1/3 cups) plain flour
  • 80 ml (1/3 cup) olive oil, plus extra for brushing
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 fresh bay leaves
  • 1 each large red and green capsicum (350gm each), seeds and membrane removed, very thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp coarse polenta
  • 250 gm zucchini (about 3), very thinly sliced
  • 300 gm cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method

Main
  • 1
    Combine yeast in a bowl with 330ml lukewarm water and stir until yeast dissolves. Add sugar, 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil and ½ tsp fine sea salt and whisk together. Cover and stand in a warm place until foamy (25-30 minutes). Add flour and stir to combine, then place in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and knead on low speed until soft and smooth (10-12 minutes). Rest for 5 minutes, then knead again until smooth and elastic (4-5 minutes). Cover and stand in a warm place until risen (25-30 minutes).
  • 2
    Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and bay leaves, sauté until slightly golden (4-5 minutes). Add capsicum and garlic, then cover and cook, stirring regularly until capsicum is tender (15-20 minutes). Remove from heat, set aside.
  • 3
    Preheat oven to 220C. Divide dough into six equal portions, then roll out on a lightly floured surface into 30cm tongue-like shapes. Sprinkle three well-oiled baking trays with polenta, place dough pieces on top, cover and stand in a warm place until slightly risen (12-15 minutes).
  • 4
    Toss zucchini in a bowl with a little salt and remaining extra-virgin olive oil. Brush pizza bases lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt flakes and divide onion and capsicum mixture among the bases, leaving a 1cm border. Scatter tomato, zucchini and parsley over the top, drizzle with a little more oil and season to taste. Bake until bases are golden and crisp (10-12 minutes) and serve immediately.

Notes

This recipe is from
by Frank Camorra and Richard Cornish and published by Murdoch Books ($59.95, hbk). In editing these recipes for publication, we have made minor changes to bring them into
style.
This recipe is from the October 2009 issue of
.

  • Frank Camorra & Richard Cornish

  • Cuisine:Spanish
  • Course:Main
  • Photography: Alan Benson
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  • undefined: Frank Camorra & Richard Cornish

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