Nonna Lisas Tiella Recipes

TIELLA RECIPE (RICE, POTATOES, AND MUSSELS CASSEROLE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350º.
• Drizzle 4 tablespoons of olive oil into a cast iron skillet.
• Arrange a layer of onions in the bottom of the skillet and drizzle with olive oil.
• Add a layer of potatoes seasoned with garlic, tomatoes, parsley, cheese, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with oil.
• Add a layer of mussels seasoned with garlic and parsley. Drizzle with oil.
• Layer the rice over the mussels, making sure to cover each mussel. Season with garlic, tomatoes, parsley, cheese, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with oil.
• Add a final layer of potatoes.
• Add the reserved liquid from when you opened the mussels. Add water so that the final layer of potatoes is just covered.
• Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top.
• Place in the oven and bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

NONNA LISA'S TIELLA

Steps:

• To make the dough, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water, and let it sit for several minutes.
• Put the flours, salt, and sugar in the bowl of the food processor, and run the machine for a few seconds to blend the dry ingredients.
• Stir the active yeast together with the cool water and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a spouted measuring cup. With the food processor running, pour all the liquid into the flours, and continue processing for 30 seconds or so. A soft dough should gather on the blade and clean the sides of the bowl. If the sides are not clear, incorporate more flour, a tablespoon at a time, to stiffen the dough. If the dough is very stiff, work in more cool water in small amounts. (You can also use a heavy-duty electric mixer to form the dough, or do it by hand.)
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead by hand briefly to form a smooth round. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour. Deflate the dough when doubled, knead it briefly, and return to the bowl for a second rise. If you like, refrigerate the dough, sealed airtight, for up to a day (deflate and knead it whenever it doubles).
• When your filling is prepared and you are ready to bake the tiella, heat the oven to 375˚. Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and put the baking stone on it, if using. Brush the bottom and sides of the skillet or baking pan lightly with olive oil.
• Deflate the dough, knead it briefly to form a round again, and cut off a third of the dough for the top crust of the tiella. The larger, two-thirds piece will be the bottom crust. Let the dough relax (especially if it has been chilled) before rolling.
• On a floured surface, roll out the big piece of dough to a 14-inch round. Transfer the round to the skillet or baking pan, centered and lying flat on the bottom and sides. Trim the top edge of the dough neatly so it is an even height, about 1 1/2 inches, up the sides all around.
• Scrape the cooled escarole or octopus filling into the bottom crust, and spread it in an even layer, slightly compressed. The escarole filling makes a thinner layer than the octopus, but with either, the bottom crust should extend at least 1/2 inch above the filling all around.
• Roll out the smaller piece of dough to a 12-inch round and trim it into a neat circle that is a bit larger than the layer of filling-use a ruler to get the right dimensions. Center the circle, and lay it on top of the filling. Pinch together the overlapping edges of the bottom and top crusts all around. Fold this wide flap of dough inward, and press it down and against the pan sides all around. Make uniform indentations with your fingertips, to seal the tiella tightly and create a decorative rim of dough at the same time.
• With the tip of a sharp knife, pierce the top crust all over with a dozen or so small slits. Finally, brush the remaining extra-virgin olive oil all over the tiella, including the border of crust.
• Bake the tiella, on the heated stone if you have one, for about 45 minutes, or until the crust is a deep golden brown. Cool it on a rack for at least an hour in the skillet. Invert and remove the tiella if you want, or leave it in the pan for serving. Cut wedges, and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
• Nonna Lisa's Tiella Filling of Escarole, Olives, and Capers
• Trim off the base of the escarole, separate the leaves, and discard any that are wilted or blemished. Rinse and drain the leaves, and chop them into shreds about an inch wide.
• Pour 1/4 cup of the olive oil in the big skillet, set it over medium-high heat, and stir in the garlic. Cook for a minute or so, until sizzling, then pile in all the escarole, and tumble the shreds over and over with tongs, over high heat. Scatter the capers and olives on top, season with the salt and peperoncino, and toss. Pour 1/2 cup water into the pan, and cover tightly.
• Steam the escarole for about 5 minutes. Uncover the pan, and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently, until all the moisture has been cooked off and the filling is condensed and fairly dry, about 20 minutes more. Near the end of cooking, drizzle over it the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss.
• Cool the filling before assembling the tiella.
• Nonna Lisa's Tiella Filling of Octopus, Garlic, and Oil
• Defrost the octopus, and put it in a big pot with several inches of water to cover. Add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, and cook at a bubbling simmer for about 35 minutes, or until the octopus is tender but al dente. You should be able to pierce the flesh with a big meat-fork but still feel a bit of resistance when you withdraw it. The skin of the octopus should still be largely intact-not broken and peeling off, which indicates overcooking. Let it cool in the cooking water, then drain well and cut it up into 3/4-inch pieces. Rinse, core, and seed the plum tomatoes, and cut into 1/3-inch dice.
• Pour the olive oil into the big skillet, set it over medium heat, and stir in the garlic. Cook for a minute, until sizzling, then add the octopus pieces and toss them in the oil. Scatter the olives in the pan, and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring and tossing; sprinkle in the peperoncino. When the octopus is sizzling, toss in the diced tomatoes, and season with the salt.
• Cook at the simmer, stirring frequently, for another 10 minutes or so, until the filling is dense and glistening, with no liquid left in the pan. Toss in the parsley, and cool the filling before assembling the tiella.

NONNA LISA'S TIELLA FILLING OF OCTOPUS, GARLIC, AND OIL

Steps:

• Defrost the octopus, and put it in a big pot with several inches of water to cover. Add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, and cook at a bubbling simmer for about 35 minutes, or until the octopus is tender but al dente. You should be able to pierce the flesh with a big meat-fork but still feel a bit of resistance when you withdraw it. The skin of the octopus should still be largely intact-not broken and peeling off, which indicates overcooking. Let it cool in the cooking water, then drain well and cut it up into 3/4-inch pieces. Rinse, core, and seed the plum tomatoes, and cut into 1/3-inch dice.
• Pour the olive oil into the big skillet, set it over medium heat, and stir in the garlic. Cook for a minute, until sizzling, then add the octopus pieces and toss them in the oil. Scatter the olives in the pan, and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring and tossing; sprinkle in the peperoncino. When the octopus is sizzling, toss in the diced tomatoes, and season with the salt.
• Cook at the simmer, stirring frequently, for another 10 minutes or so, until the filling is dense and glistening, with no liquid left in the pan. Toss in the parsley, and cool the filling before assembling the tiella.

NONNA'S PIZZELLE

Steps:

• Preheat pizzelle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Mix flour and baking powder together in a bowl.
• Combine eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until well-blended. Add 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening and beat until blended. Add flour mixture and mix on medium speed until incorporated. Fold anise seeds and vanilla extract into batter with a spatula.
• Drop a teaspoon of batter onto the preheated iron. Bake until golden, 30 to 40 seconds, or a few seconds longer for darker pizzelle.