Baked Mussels with Rice & Potato (Rizzo Con Cozze e Patate) (Bari)

Serves 8

1kg mussels, scrubbed

500g vine-ripened cherry

tomatoes, halved

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 small onion, finely chopped

½ cup finely chopped curly

parsley, plus extra to serve

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil,

plus extra to grease

500g potato (preferably Agria), peeled and sliced into 5mm-thick rounds

3 zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds 1 cup (200g) risotto rice

(preferably carnaroli)

1½ cups hot vegetable stock

⅓ cup stale breadcrumbs

2 tbsp finely grated pecorino

cheese

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan forced). Place the scrubbed mussels into a wide saucepan. Add ¼ cup hot water and place over high heat. Cover with a lid and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, for 2 minutes, or until the mussels just open. Remove from the heat, remove the mussels from the pan and reserve the cooking liquid. Open the mussels and discard half the shells. Set aside.

Lightly grease a 4-litre round baking (or casserole) dish with olive oil. Place the tomatoes, garlic, onion, parsley, and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small bowl. Season well with salt and pepper and mix to combine. Lay half the potato and zucchini slices in the base of the dish. Spoon over half of the tomato mixture and sprinkle over half the rice. Repeat layering with the remaining potato, zucchini, tomato mixture and rice.

Strain the mussel cooking liquid into a large jug. Add the vegetable stock and then mix to combine (you should have 2.5 cups of liquid in total – add a little more stock if needed). Pour the liquid over the rice mixture. Cover tightly with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the breadcrumbs, pecorino and remaining oil. Carefully place the mussels on top of the rice, sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and then bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until golden.

Set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Serve sprinkled with extra parsley.