Coca With Catalonian Spinach & Anchovies

[kirra]

Coca With Catalonian Spinach & Anchovies

The combination of greens, pine nuts and currants or raisins is a Catalonian classic. Here the spinach is cooked down with olive oil into a savory-sweet spread, then topped with briny anchovies. If you're not a fan of the fishes, you can omit.

Ingredients:


1 recipe Basic Coca Dough (Recipe follows)
1/3 cup olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
2 large onions, cut in half and thinly sliced into half-moons
Salt to taste
2 bunches spinach, washed and finely chopped
1/4 cup currants or raisins, soaked in warm water to plump
1/4 cup pine nuts
16 anchovies (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven (and pizza stone, if you have one), to 500 degrees, and take the dough out of the refrigerator to warm up.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium flame, and saute the onions, along with a pinch of salt, until lightly golden, 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the onions are cooking, set up a steamer basket over simmering water and steam the spinach until just cooked and wilted. Remove from heat, and press out the excess liquid (feel free to really smush it down to expel all excess water).

When the onions are golden, add the spinach and saute for a few minutes to combine the flavors and cook off any remaining liquid. Turn off the flame and stir in the currants and pine nuts, then add salt to taste. If you're using anchovies, keep in mind that they will contribute additional salt. Allow to cool slightly.

To assemble the coca, divide the dough into quarters and remove one portion of it. Keep the remaining portions covered. Roll out the dough into an oval shape, roughly 12-by-6 inches, and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet or a cornmeal-sprinkled pizza peel (if you're using a pizza stone). Spread a quarter of the filling on top, coming close to the edges of the dough. Top with 4 anchovies, if using, arranged diagonally across the top. Drizzle with additional olive oil and bake, either on the cookie sheet or transferring onto the pizza stone, until the dough is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and cut into slices to serve. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Makes four 12-by-6-inch cocas.



Basic Coca Dough
Luis Bollo

You may substitute additional olive oil for the lard if you prefer. In a pinch, you can use a store-bought pizza dough for the handmade version — just be sure to roll it out nice and thin.

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for oiling the bowl
2 tablespoons lard (or substitute additional olive oil)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semolina flour
3 cups all-purpose flour

Preparation:

Place the water, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a mixer and let sit for a few minutes to allow the yeast to soften and bloom.

Add the olive oil, lard and salt. Using a dough hook, mix in the semolina and the flour (if you don't have a mixer, you can do this with a wooden spoon, switching to kneading with your hands when it gets stiff). Knead for several minutes, until the dough comes together into a smooth, supple ball (it will be a somewhat stiff dough).

Coat the dough with a bit of olive oil to keep it from drying out, and place in a covered container and refrigerate overnight (if you're in a rush, you can instead let it rise for an hour or two at room temperature).