Llescas - Catalan bread pizza
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
5 mins
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Cook Time
10 mins
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Total Time
15 mins
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Servings
1
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Calories
505 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Spanish
Llescas - Catalan bread pizza
Description
The preparation begins by lightly toasting thick slices of dense country-style bread, then rubbing one side with peeled garlic for aromatic depth. The spinach topping involves wilting roughly chopped spinach quickly in olive oil, mixing in pine nuts and raisins to add texture and sweetness, and optionally grating parmesan cheese on top. For the ham and mushroom topping, mushrooms are sliced and sautéed in butter with optional thyme until soft, then combined off heat with diced ham and cubed Swiss or similar non-crumbly cheese. This mixture gets spooned onto bread to warm the cheese slightly.
Both topping styles balance freshness and warmth—spinach's earthiness with pine nut crunch and raisin sweetness, and ham with tender mushrooms and creamy cheese. The toasted bread base holds these together with a pleasant crispness that contrasts with the softer toppings. Preparing both toppings provides variety for a single generous serving, suitable for sharing or pairing with a salad or light soup.
Quantities given make one slice of each topping, enough for one hearty portion. Multiply ingredients when preparing for more people. Keeping components ready before assembly helps ensure fresh textures and prompt serving.
Ingredients
- 2 lices bread large slices, ideally a relatively plain but dense artisan/country-style bread
- ½ clove garlic
For spinach topping
- ½ tablespoon olive oil approx
- 2 oz spinach 55g, tough stems removed
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- 1 tablespoon parmesan finely grated, optional
For ham & mushroom topping
- ½ tablespoon butter
- 3 oz mushrooms 85g
- 1 dash thyme optional
- 1 oz ham 28g, 1 slice ham (e.g black forest, Virginia, cooked
- 1 oz swiss cheese 28g or other non-crumbly cheese (eg Jarlesberg)
Instructions
- Get everything ready before you start - cut the mushrooms in half then slice fairly thinly. Cut the slice of ham into small squares, and slice then cut the cheese into similar sized square pieces. Roughly chop the spinach. Cut the end off the garlic and peel back the skin.
- Toast the bread lightly on both sides then rub one side with the garlic. Leave this side up to put toppings on.
- For the spinach topping, heat the oil in a small skillet/frying pan and add the spinach, stir occasionally as it wilts down (only a minute or two). Add the pine nuts and raisins, mix then remove from the heat. Put the topping on a slice of bread and grate over a little parmesan, if using.
- Melt the butter in the skillet (can be same one) and cook the mushrooms until soft, around 5min. Add a little dried thyme, if you like. Remove from the heat and add the ham and cheese, mix through. If not able to grill, then leave on the heat for a minute longer to soften the cheese then either way, carefully stack on top of a slice of bread.
- If able to grill, put both types of llesca under the grill - with the spinach, this is until the cheese softens and pine nuts browning slightly, around 1-2mins. With the ham version, it's until the cheese is melting both on top and further in, nearer 5min.
Notes
- The ingredient quantities yield one slice per topping, sufficient for a single generous serving.
- Scale quantities proportionally to serve additional people.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 1Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 505 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 505kcal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 48g | 16% |
| Protein | 26g | 52% |
| Fat | 25g | 38% |
| Saturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 58mg | 19% |
| Sodium | 911mg | 38% |
| Potassium | 952mg | 20% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 5730IU | 115% |
| Vitamin C | 19.3mg | 21% |
| Calcium | 417mg | 42% |
| Iron | 5.3mg | 29% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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