Tiella Barese

Step 1

Peel the onion and cut it in half lengthwise from root to tip, then place the flat side down and slice crosswise into half-moons about 1/4-inch thick.

Step 2

Place the celery stalks on the cutting board and slice them crosswise into pieces about 1/4-inch thick, discarding any tough white core from the center.

Step 3

Place the carrot on the cutting board and slice it lengthwise into four long strips, then rotate each strip flat and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch thick half-moons.

Step 4

Mince the garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice — each piece should be about the size of a pencil-tip dot.

Step 5

Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a 6-quart pot and place it over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.

Step 6

Add the sliced onion, carrot, and celery to the hot oil and stir with a wooden spoon once every 30 seconds until the vegetables soften and turn light golden at the edges, about 5 minutes.

Step 7

Add the minced garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the air smells strongly fragrant and you see the garlic pieces turn pale gold.

Step 8

Pour in 200 ml of white wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot; stir for 2 minutes until the wine reduces by about half.

Step 9

Add the 400 g of crushed canned tomatoes to the pot and stir well, then lower the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.

Step 10

Pour in 1 liter of warm fish stock and stir to combine, then return the heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a gentle boil where you see steady small bubbles breaking the surface.

Step 11

Spread the 300 g of arborio rice evenly across the surface of the simmering liquid using a wooden spoon, then stir once or twice to distribute it evenly, and lower the heat to medium.

Step 12

Arrange the cleaned mussels on top of the rice in a single layer, then scatter the shrimp pieces and squid rings over and around them.

Step 13

Bring the pot back to a steady simmer (you should see small bubbles breaking the surface once every 2–3 seconds) and cover with a lid, leaving it cracked open slightly.

Step 14

Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and gently checking that the rice is absorbing the liquid and the shrimp are turning pink and opaque throughout.

Step 15

Check if the rice grains are soft and creamy when you bite one, and the mussels are open (discard any that remain closed); if the liquid is not fully absorbed, simmer for 2 more minutes.

Step 16

Remove the pot from the heat and sprinkle the fresh chopped parsley over the top in a scattered layer, then let the tiella rest uncovered for 2 minutes before serving directly from the pot.