La Tiella Barese (Rice, Potato and Mussels)

Directions

1. Place rice to soak in 1.5 litres of cold water. 
2. Turn oven on to 350 degrees. 
3. Open the mussels by steaming them just enough to open them. There is no need to cook them as they will cook in the casserole. Once cool enough to handle, remove the mussels from their shells and place them in a bowl. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes into rounds. 
4. Drizzle a 30 inch round casserole with one to two tablespoons of olive oil.  Layer the bottom of the casserole with the sliced onions. Next, layer the  potatoes on top and scatter the chopped garlic and the chopped tomatoes.  Season with salt, pepper and some chopped parsley. Drizzle a little olive oil  overtop. 
5. Scatter some of the mussels and cover all of this with a layer of the soaked rice. Now sprinkle the cheese over the layer of rice. I use my hands/fingers  to do all of this. Use as much cheese as you like. I personally like to go light with the cheese. 
6. Continue to form layers in this same way, using up all of the ingredients that you have. Drizzle olive oil in between the layers and pour the starchy water  from the rice into the casserole. The water should be at the same level or close to your last layer. Add more water if necessary as it’s cooking. To complete the Tiella, your uppermost layer should be potatoes, some chopped tomatoes, cheese and 3-4 tablespoon of breadcrumbs.  
7. Place the casserole on the stove on medium to high heat. Once it reaches a rolling boil, place in the centre of the oven for 40 min.
8. Remove from the oven and allow the Tiella to rest for a bit before serving.