A direct relative of savory flatbreads eaten in Greece and Arabian countries, Coca de recapte is a Spanish pastry that can be both savory and sweet. Unlike other flatbreads, it is quite thick and is topped with caramelized onions and Spanish olives . Coca is a word used in Catalonia and neighboring regions for baked dough and pastries. And, as they are available in such a diverse range, every specific variety usually comes with an additional name to identify them. For example, coca de Sant Joan is sweet with confited fruit, coca de vidre (glass) is topped with pine nuts and coca de llardons has pork cracklings mixed into the dough.
Coca de recapte is thought to be a precursor of Italian pizza, French pissaladière, Turkish pide, and Armenian lahmacun, among others. While it is difficult to trace its origin, they are often linked to the arrival of Romans to the eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula in Spain. In fact, some varieties of cokes (also called roscos or tortells) are thought to have their origin from pre-Christian sun cults. Traditionally, coca de recapte was made in villages at the time when peasants did not have their own ovens at home. They would carry their freshly grown vegetables to the bakery village, where the bakers would use the contributions from villagers to bake cocas, which everyone would share. You can still find a similar tradition in some villages.
Coques had been popular in ancient times for many reasons. As they were easy to transport, they had been served during rural gatherings and celebrations. They were also easy to prepare- just take a flatbread and put some vegetables and butifarra on it. The combination of vegetables used for the topping can be variant and is easily customizable as per one’s taste. In Catalonia, the most traditional coca de recapte is made with escalivade, a combination of eggplants, red peppers, and onions. These days, many combinations of ingredients are added as Coca de Recapte’s topping. All the versions can be enjoyed hot as well as cold.
Coque de recapte can be easily found in bakeries all over Spain and are also becoming increasingly common in restaurants and tapas bars. Addition of tomatoes makes it even more delicious but must be drizzled with a nice extra virgin olive oil, fresh ground pepper and lots of finely chopped fresh basil. The sweet version of coca de recapte is made with a flaky dough that calls for softened butter and good lard. The traditional topping should be sugar, pine nuts, a sprinkling of anisette, and orange or lemon rind. This recipe is great for breakfast or afternoon tea, but you can always serve it as tapas appetizer. You can even serve this flatbread next to a salad for a complete meal. It is also an ideal accompaniment for drinks.
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