Not sure we ain't trying to read more information than the FCTM text actually carries. For the record, it is
If in clean configuration and below FL 200, during flight path recovery, the flight crew must select FLAPS 1 in order to increase the margin to AOAstall.
By the sound of it, namely the word 'must', this is not a formal certification standard language (AFM). Despite the name change and scope development, the FCTM is genetically an instructor's handbook.
For procedure design in FCOM-ABN (and AFM), the needed linearity could be limiting. Individual items are sequenced by their acuteness, placing 'FLAPS 1' higher up the list simply opens another set of questions.
Other than the above speculation, it is quite probable many skilled people asked and tried, eventually coming to realize this is the optimal way.