“Our culinary philosophy is to favour ingredients that come from nearby. We have created an incredible group of artisans, farmers and producers who provide us with specialities and delicacies from our local area.”
Today we meet Chef Filippo Saporito who, along with his wife Ombretta Giovannini, has conceived and created a place that straddles the sacred and the profane, where cuisine plays the starring role: the restaurant La Leggenda dei Frati. Located within the magnificent Villa Bardini museum complex in Florence, it exudes an elegant and welcoming atmosphere, set in a wonderful garden with four hectares of woodland and orchard surrounded by the city walls.
At La Leggenda dei Frati, chefs Saporito and Giovannini present traditional cuisine with a modern twist: a kind of cuisine influenced both by traditional Tuscan specialities and by the scents of the Mediterranean Sea, drawing inspiration from Saporito’s Sicilian origins. The territorial nature of these influences pairs well with the focus on sustainability: for both chefs, the desire to work with fresh, seasonal products sourced from local producers and artisans is fundamental.
Chef Saporito proposes a surprising dish to pair with Berlucchi Cuvée JRE n°6, the Franciacorta wine created by Berlucchi specifically for the chefs of the JRE association, to which he belongs.
His famous dish La Terrina, the restaurant’s signature dish since 2004, represents his way of seeing and reinterpreting Tuscan cuisine. A creation based on chicken livers, enriched with Lardo di Colonnata, Crème Caramel of livers, stuffed with dried figs to add sweetness to the dish, accompanied by a special bread known as Pan dei Santi.
A dish very much tied to tradition but revisited from a modern perspective. Exactly the same characteristics as Berlucchi Cuvée JRE n°6, a 2009 vintage Franciacorta Riserva, 100% Chardonnay with more than 10 years of ageing on the lees. Featuring elegant bubbles but with a strong structure, it’s a distinctive and pleasant wine that goes well with the savouriness of the dish, creating a harmonious and elegant pairing.
In the Chef’s words:
The accompanying song: “Shine on you crazy diamond” by Pink Floyd – A song plucked from my past that inspires relaxation, exactly what you feel when drinking a good glass of bubbly.
My #Berlucchimoments is a moment dedicated to me and my wife. A moment for us as a couple, for rediscovering complicity and the desire to be together because, as I always say, with bubbles in your body making love is even sweeter!