Recently updated on August 30th, 2022 at 03:41 pm
Tuscany conjures up images of rolling golden hills and vineyards, tall green cypress pines, rich red wines, fields of sunflowers, delicious Tuscan recipes and picturesque medieval towns. As the birthplace of Renaissance, famous artists left their mark on this charming Italian region.
It’s hard not to fall head-over-heels for the friendly people and charming small villages that dot Tuscany’s hills. One of those incredible locals is Giada Landi, a Trafalgar Be My Guest host and a fantastic chef.
“Today I want to cook with you, so please follow me,” Giada tells us, standing outside the Landi Tuscan family home to cook one of her favourite recipes.
Giada leads us into the kitchen where she’s cooking an amazing Tuscan recipe using one of the region’s most famous exports: Chianti wine. Usually she cooks this and other classic Tuscan recipes for Trafalgar guests, who are invited to explore her family’s private estate for a very special Be My Guest lunch.
With eight generations of history and plenty of stories to tell, this meal with the Landi family at their home near Florence is one you’ll remember. Here you’ll clink glasses of local wine and enjoy delicious home-cooked Tuscan food while overlooking vineyards and olive groves.
Watch the video and read on to discover how to cook Giada’s favourite family recipe, Tuscan chicken with a Chianti wine reduction (or better yet, join our Great Italian Cities or Great European tour and have Giada cook it for you herself!).
Now, where do we get an olive oil bottle that size?!
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Unlock the best…. Tuscan chicken recipes
Giada’s Tuscan chicken recipe serves four
Ingredients:
4x chicken legs, bone-in thigh and leg
Bottle of Chianti wine
Olive oil
Garlic clove
Sprig of fresh rosemary
Salt
Pepper
Method
If the chicken legs are not already divided into thighs and legs, chop them in half. Then add salt and pepper to season. Pour olive oil into a big frypan, turn the heat on high and add the garlic and rosemary sprig. While that heats up, massage the seasoning into the chicken.
When you hear the olive oil singing, it’s time to put the chicken in, skin down. When you start smelling the intense flavour of the chicken it’s almost time to turn it. When it’s time to flip the chicken, turn the heat off and wait a moment for it to cool so the chicken doesn’t stick. Flip the chicken over, turn the heat back on and brown the other side.
Once both sides of the chicken are browned, add most of a bottle of Chianti to the pan. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the flame to low, cover the pan and let simmer for 45 minutes to one hour. It’s ready when the sauce is thick and reduced.
“That’s it, so easy, so good,” says Giada. “If you’re going to make it at home, please send me pictures because I want to see how far my chicken flies!”
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RELATED BLOG: Tuscany’s Best Local Wine Tasting Experiences
Have you unlocked the best of Tuscany with Trafalgar? Let us know if you’ve eaten delicious Tuscan recipes before or visited the Landi family estate in the comments below…