MUSSEL TIELLA

THE RECIPE

This is my take on a dish that originates from Puglia in southern Italy.

INGREDIENTS:

675g Mussels
250ml water
5 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, thinly sliced
6 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
400g can of chopped tomatoes
Salt and Black Pepper
4 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
450g courgettes, thinly sliced
75g Grated Parmesan cheese
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
225g Large red tomatoes, thinly sliced
Salt and Black Pepper


METHOD:

Peel the potatoes and slice into even rounds 3mm thick,slice the courgettes and onion also. You can use a mandolin or food processor for this.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. Clean the mussels and pull of the "beards" under cold running water. Discard any open or any with cracked or broken shells. Place the mussels with the water in a large pan, cover with a lid and cook over high heat for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally until all
the mussels have opened.Discard any that do not open and strain, reserving the liquid.

Pour a tablespoon of the olive oil into the base of a shallow oven proof dish, smear over the bottom and sides of the dish. Layer the onion slices over the bottom. Scatter over half the chopped parsley and half the chopped tomatoes. Layer half the potatoes and half the courgettes over this, seasoning each layer with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle the courgette layer with half the grated parmesan cheese. Place the mussels in their half shells on top.

Scatter over the remaining chopped parsley and the chopped tomatoes. Add the minced garlic and 2 tablespoons of olive oil over this. Layer the remaining potatoes and courgettes, seasoning each layer with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Use the sliced tomatoes to completely cover the top. Drizzle over the remaining olive oil and the reserved mussel liquid. Ensure the liquid comes halfway up the sides of the dish, add boiling water to top-up if necessary.  Sprinkle the sliced tomatoes with the remaining cheese. Place the dish, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

TO SERVE:

Serve immediately, or allow to cool slightly, plate up and Enjoy....