Riso, cozze e patate

Ingredients (Four servings)

• 1 kg black mussels, preferably from the Mediterranean Sea
• 500g Italian rice “Vialone Nano”
• 400g 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 spoon of olive oil in a large skillet with two cloves of garlic, skin on and cracked open. When hot, pour the mussels, previously cleaned, add the wine and cover the pot.

When the mussels are all open, turn off the heat and let them cool down. Gently remove the meat from the shells, discard the shells and filter the resulting liquid.

Bring to boil the mussels’ liquid and adjust its saltiness, adding either more water or a little salt.

In a pot, heat the remaining oil and toast the rice in it, then add diced potatoes (5 mm) and the mussels’ liquid, simmer without stirring for 11 minutes exactly. Add the mussel meat and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat, add more extra virgin olive oil and finely chopped parsley, cover the pot to rest another 5 minutes, then serve.