Taste The Iconic Butter Chicken at Trattoria Sostanza, Florence
A traditional little eatery in central Florence, deserving of the hype, and a must-try for the somewhat unique (and yet not) dish of Butter Chicken or Petti di pollo al burro.
The restaurant itself is small, old and noisy. It’s the kind of place where the clanks of old pottery, and the metallic clangs of heavy cutlery provide the ear-piercing soundtrack of “authentic” Italian trattoria dining. The menus are messily scrawled in pen, in both English and Italian, on pieces of A4 paper – exactly how the restaurant likes it, and it changes day to day depending on what’s available (but the butter chicken is simple enough to remain a daily addition). The walls are covered in black and white and faded colour photography, celebrating the many Italian and international celebrities that have sat and eaten on the 20 or so seats inside. People love the food here. Rightly so. It’s old fashioned, basic cuisine that’s lovingly prepared and perfect pairing for a charry, rustic glass of house Chianti. We eat light when we’re there: a dish each. Last time we chose a hearty bowl of meaty pasta – cooked al dente as it should be – and the excellent butter chicken that is always perfectly cooked according to a traditional method.
Butter chicken is a simple dish. Two chicken breasts still encased in their thick flavoursome skin, cooked in swathes of fatty butter until everything is a tantalising golden brown in colour, and then served hot and still in the pan. There are a few cloves of garlic and a wedge of lemon to bring out the salty flavours. The resulting flavours are rich and complex, the skin baked at high heat, steaming the thick flesh within and finished with a generous touch of salt. It is not typical Tuscan cuisine by any means, but it is very good and has its roots in old northern Italian cooking.
Interestingly, this dish has led some reviewers, who can I only imagine view Italy as some kind of theme park, to say things like this:
“This is Italy, save the fried butter chicken for a fast food joint…”
Certainly, it seems for some, there’s an expectation for Italian restaurants in Italy to adhere only to the desires of tourists. But in a country well known for getting away with some bad practices (menu turistico) Trattoria Sostanza stands out for remaining true to a distinctive culinary ethos.
But it’s worth noting to anyone unsure that butter dishes like this are quite popular in the north of Italy and have been for some time, and it certainly has nothing to do with KFC.
But herein lies a problem with Florence’s dining scene, and perhaps Florence proper. It is dominated by outsiders. Tourists who demand what they know to be authentic (and usually isn’t). That which has been romanticised in too many big-budget movies, by too many bloggers, and inaccurate memoirs selling Euro-dreams. Too many people treat Florence like a museum, rather than a living, breathing place.
Equally, some locals think that Florence has been at the whim of tourists for too long. Creatives in the city fight against it with graffiti, telling Americans to stay away for the most part.
They call it the Disneyfication of Florence.
Of course, things are changing. Florentines are beginning to notice this mentality. And there are some great new restaurants, such as Locale and Gurdulú, and the desire for creativity is becoming just as important as the need to please tourists.
On the flipside, some visitors are noticing that Florence is more than the sum of its Renaissance parts (the bits people come to see), and it has more to offer than Chianti and steak. Underneath its polished veneer of pedestrianised “tourist zones”, it is a modern city, fashionable and artistic, beautiful and enchanting, and home to some amazing restaurants, both new and old. To try one out for yourself, head to Trattoria Sostanza and order a plate of butter chicken.
Bookings are recommended.
Trattoria Sostanza, Via del Porcellana, 25/R, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy.
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