Fast Recipes

Mussels cooked in a tomato and rice pilaf with dill

Mussels cooked in a flavourful tomato and rice pilaf with dill.

By Lisa Featherby
  • 30 mins cooking
  • Serves 4
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Mussels cooked in a tomato and rice pilaf with dill
Made with fresh tomatoes, fluffy rice, lots of spices and mussels, this fragrant seafood dish doubles as an excellent midweek dinner or main course for your dinner party menu.

Ingredients

  • 250 gm (about 1 punnet) cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 325 ml dry white wine
  • 1 kg mussels, rinsed
  • Pinch of dried Greek oregano
  • 35 gm butter
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 300 gm long-grain rice, rinsed
  • 8 okra, sliced
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped dill

Method

  • 1
    Preheat oven to 200C. Scatter tomatoes on a tray, drizzle with olive oil and scatter with sea salt and roast until skins blister (10-15 minutes).
  • 2
    Meanwhile, bring 200ml wine to the boil in a large saucepan over high heat, add mussels and oregano and shake pan occasionally until mussels open (3-5 minutes). Drain and reserve stock.
  • 3
    Heat butter in a large saucepan over high heat, add onion and garlic and stir until tender (5 minutes), add rice and stir to coat, then add okra, remaining wine and 2625ml (please check quantity) reserved stock and half the dill and season to taste, bring to the simmer, stir, cover with a lid and transfer to oven and bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender (15-20 minutes).
  • 4
    Stir mussels and tomatoes through rice and return to oven to warm through (1-2 minutes), then serve scattered with extra dill.

Notes

Dried Greek oregano, also known as rigani, is more aromatic than the dried oregano sold in supermarkets. It's available in dried bunches from Greek delicatessens. If unavailable, substitute dried oregano.This recipe is from the October 2011 issue of Gourmet Traveller.