Bari Tiella (rice, potatoes and mussels)

The name of this specialty is of vernacular origins – Tiella, it has the meaning of pan – and it is a clear and unequivocal testimony, within the wide recipes variety of the cuisine of Puglia, of the rule made by the Spanish in the seventeenth century, which delivered us this well know Bari specialty.

The preparation is a soup composed of various ingredients, which are superimposed raw in distinct layers, within a pan which is placed inside the oven. As for the composition of the tiella is not necessary follow fixed rules, being rather a recipe that gives room for creativity, except always remember to put the potatoes in this dish.

Tiella ingredients (rice, potatoes and mussels)

• 300 gr. rice
• 1 clove of garlic
• onion
• parsley
• 500 gr potatoes
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 kg. mussel
• pepper

Preparation

Let see now a bit more closely the secrets that can help you prepare a good tiella.

Start by washing and brushing the mussels, using plenty of water: so, arrange them in a pan, enclosing minced garlic, and with the help of a cooker, let it open by itself by heating at the right point.

At this point, proceed to remove the shells of your mussels, and then, recovered the liquid of the same, taking care to filter it through a sieve. Then wash, peel and slice potatoes: with one half, cover the bottom of a baking pan, previously greased of oil. At this point, season with pepper, parsley and chopped onion.

Get ready now to cover all your preparation with rice, adding also mussels and potatoes remained, together with the chopped onion and remaining parsley. Add pepper and a little oil, then, cover with water – in addition to that of the mussels. Place the pan in the preheated oven and cook at medium heat for about 45 minutes.

NOTES

Here are some steps that can help you get a more careful and tasty preparation of your tiella, that I’ll remember once again, it can be customized using your favorite ingredients, allowing guests to have to tease the palate of those who sit with you at your table.

Here is our simple tips:

• no need to put salt because the cooking water mussels and already salted.
• You can enrich the flavor of the recipe with the addition of fresh tomato cut into pieces as shown in the photos.