The recovery in the boat: hands away, trunk forward, only then roll. Even speed, blade one blade-width above the water and no braking before the catch position.
The honest answer up front: the recovery is the way back to the catch position: first the hands go away, then the upper body comes into forward lean, then you roll, and all of it at even speed without slowing the boat. That is how the technical model of the German Rowing Federation (DRV) describes it: after extraction, the hands are carried away without a pause, at the same speed at which they were brought to the finish. When the hands have passed the knees, the smooth roll begins [1]. In plain words: first hands, then trunk, then legs, and all without swing backward or forward.
Rowing Canada summarizes it as the order arms, upper body, legs and names as the aim keeping the loss of speed low [3]. The recovery is not a pause: the boat keeps running in this phase, and every braking move by you costs speed. The model therefore states: in the last third of the recovery the forward-lean angle should no longer change; the more precisely this succeeds, the less the boat is slowed toward the catch [1]. And: handle and slide speed are braked as late as possible toward the catch [1].
A distinction: this guide describes rowing in the boat. In twelve competitive male rowers on the ergometer, stroke rate was regulated mainly through recovery time, not drive time [4]. That shows how much room there is in the recovery. It does not mean it is the same in the boat.
How hard is it? You learn the order in one session. Until you manage it evenly and quietly, it takes many outings, in experience terms.
After extraction the hands are carried away without a pause [1]. The upper body follows the stern-ward movement of the handles immediately, so the hands do not go too far from the body [2]. Milestone: 10 strokes without a visible stop at the end of the drive.
At the same time the upper body is brought from layback into forward lean. The pelvis is upright, the hip is the axis of rotation [1]. British technique descriptions say: the hands lead the recovery [5].
When the hands have passed the knees, the smooth roll begins at constant handle speed [1]. The slide is moved by actively and evenly pulling the feet toward the stretcher [2]. The boat run is supported by a light, even pull on the stretcher [1].
The blade is carried evenly with one blade-width of clearance above the water, without the hands having to be lowered at the catch position [1]. The blades are turned just before the catch position is reached [1]. British descriptions say to square early, as the blades pass the knees [5].
When the hands are at foot height, the upper body must have taken its final forward lean [1]. In the last third the angle no longer changes [1]. Milestone: your coach sees that the boat does not visibly brake at the catch position. Anchor: you roll like an elevator, not like stairs.
Film your recovery from the side and count: how long does the way back take when you roll evenly? Then practice it with a fixed count ("one-two-three") and watch whether the slide speed stays constant. In competitive rowers on the ergometer, stroke rate was regulated mainly through recovery time [4]; in the boat you learn the same idea without hurry.
The phase after extraction to the catch position: hands away, upper body into forward lean, then smooth rolling in [1].
The boat keeps running in this phase. Every braking move costs speed; the model demands braking the speed as late as possible [1].
Arms, upper body, then legs [3]. Only when the hands pass the knees does the rolling begin [1].
About one blade-width of clearance [1].
Stopping a Rowing Boat: Hold Water, Then Press the Blades In