Two golden rectangular cocas sit on a pale platter, topped with coral salmon flakes, glossy charred vegetables, white ajo blanco swooshes, pink pickled shallots, green parsley, and scattered almond crumbs.

Catalan Coca with Hot-Smoked Salmon, Charred Eggplant & Ajo Blanco

Name: Catalan Coca with Hot-Smoked Salmon, Charred Eggplant & Ajo Blanco
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 6 oz hot-smoked salmon remove skin and flake into large pieces; 8 oz refrigerated pizza dough bring to room temperature; 1 small, about 8 oz eggplant cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 1 red bell pepper seed and cut into 1-inch strips; 1 cup cherry tomatoes halve; 1/3 cup unsalted Marcona almonds; 1 oz day-old country bread remove crust and tear into pieces; 1 small clove garlic peel; 1 small shallot thinly slice; 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar divide; 1 teaspoon honey; 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika; 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley finely chop; 1/3 cup water use cold; 1 tablespoon water use hot; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divide; 1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste kosher salt; to taste black pepper freshly grind

Crisp Catalan flatbread layered with smoky salmon and almond-garlic cream.

Category Breakfast

Prep 20 minutes

Cook 25 minutes

Style Spanish

Technique Roasting

Diet Friendly Pescatarian

Daily recipe · September 03, 2026

A little about this dish

This late-summer breakfast turns Catalan coca into an elegant open-faced flatbread. Hot-smoked salmon sits over charred eggplant, pepper, and tomatoes, while silky ajo blanco—a chilled almond-garlic sauce—adds richness and contrast. Pickled shallot and parsley keep every bite bright.

Ingredients (for 2)

Hot-smoked salmon — 6 oz — remove skin and flake into large pieces
Refrigerated pizza dough — 8 oz — bring to room temperature
Eggplant — 1 small, about 8 oz — cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Red bell pepper — 1 — seed and cut into 1-inch strips
Cherry tomatoes — 1 cup — halve
Unsalted marcona almonds — 1/3 cup
Day-old country bread — 1 oz — remove crust and tear into pieces
Garlic — 1 small clove — peel
Shallot — 1 small — thinly slice
Sherry vinegar — 2 tablespoons — divide
Honey — 1 teaspoon
Smoked paprika — 1/2 teaspoon
Flat-leaf parsley — 2 tablespoons — finely chop
Water — 1/3 cup — use cold
Water — 1 tablespoon — use hot
Extra-virgin olive oil — 3 tablespoons — divide
Kosher salt — 1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste
Black pepper — to taste — freshly grind

Preparation

Step 1 — 🔥📄

Heat the oven to 450°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment.
Step 2 — 🧅🥣⏱️

Stir together 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, honey, hot water, and a pinch of salt. Add the sliced shallot and let it stand for at least 15 minutes.
Step 3 — 🌰🍞🌀

Reserve 1 tablespoon Marcona almonds for topping. Blend the remaining almonds with the bread, garlic, remaining sherry vinegar, cold water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Add a splash more water if needed, then chill.
Step 4 — 🍆🌶️🔥

Toss the eggplant and bell pepper with 1 tablespoon olive oil, smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Spread them on the baking sheet and roast for 12 minutes.
Step 5 — 🍅🥄✨

Add the halved cherry tomatoes, toss with the roasted vegetables, and roast for 6 to 8 minutes more, until tender and charred at the edges.
Step 6 — 🍕🫒🍴

Stretch the pizza dough into a 10-by-7-inch rectangle on the parchment. Brush it with 1 teaspoon olive oil and prick it all over with a fork.
Step 7 — 🥕🍕⏲️

Bake the dough for 8 to 10 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Scatter the roasted vegetables over it and bake for 3 to 4 minutes more, until crisp at the edges.
Step 8 — 🐟🌿🍽️

Cool the coca for 2 minutes, then spread the ajo blanco over it. Top with the hot-smoked salmon, drained pickled shallot, and chopped parsley.
Step 9 — 🌰💧🔪

Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, scatter the reserved chopped almonds over the top, cut into two generous portions, and serve immediately.

A final fox tip

Coca is a Catalan flatbread, and its name refers to the crisp, bread-like base rather than a sweet cake. Add the ajo blanco and salmon after baking to preserve the coca's crunch. Cold-smoked salmon can be substituted; simply drape it on at the very end. Regular blanched almonds work in place of Marcona almonds after a brief soak.