Riso, Cozze e Patate
by Executive Chef Francesco Greco, Cape Sienna Hotel & Villas – Kamala
A traditional dish from Italy’s Puglia region, Riso, Cozze e Patate celebrates the simplicity of southern coastal cooking — rice, mussels, and potatoes baked gently in olive oil and white wine. At Cape Sienna Hotel & Villas, Chef Francesco Greco recreates this classic with quiet elegance, turning rustic ingredients into a Mediterranean experience that feels both homely and refined.
Ingredients (Serves Four)
1 kg black mussels, preferably Mediterranean
500 g Italian rice (Vialone Nano)
400 g fresh potatoes
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 glass white wine (for cooking)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
Heat a spoonful of olive oil in a large skillet with two cloves of garlic, skin on and cracked open.
Add cleaned mussels and white wine, cover, and cook until mussels open.
Remove from heat, cool, and gently remove meat from shells. Discard shells and filter the resulting liquid.
Bring the mussel liquid to a boil, adjusting seasoning by adding a little salt or water as needed.
In a pot, heat the remaining oil and toast the rice lightly. Add diced potatoes (5 mm) and pour in the mussel liquid. Simmer without stirring for exactly 11 minutes.
Add the mussel meat and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.
Cover and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
