Italian
Silvia’s Masterclass
Ingredients
⅓ cup (80ml) extra-virgin olive oil
dredged in flour 4 Ingham’s maryland chicken drumsticks
2 golden shallots, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
150 ml dry white wine
600 g cherry tomatoes
1 cup (250ml) tomato passata
40 g (1/4 cup) pitted black olives
40 g (1/4 cup) capers, in vinegar or salt, well washed
1 can 400g of Capriccio chickpeas, well rinsed and drained
1–2 flat-leaf parsley sprigs, stalks finely chopped and extra leaves to serve
basil leaves to serve
salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Heat half of the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium–high heat Add the chicken and brown on both sides for 3–4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the shallot and cook for 1–2 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant, then add cherry tomatoes, the chicken and deglaze with the wine, scraping up any bits caught on the base. Allow it to bubble away for 1–2 minutes to cook out the alcohol. Add passata, olives, caoers chickpeas,. Don’t add any seasoning as the olives and capers are quite salty. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked through.
Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce is thickened. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper. Top with the basil leaves and serve
Silvia Colloca
Silvia Colloca is an Italian-born food writer, opera singer, TV producer and host. She has authored seven cookbooks, including Silvia’s Cucina, Made in Italy, La Dolce Vita, Love, Laugh, Bake!, Simple Italian (2024), and The Italian Homecook (2025), all published by Penguin.
Silvia’s most recent television work is Silvia’s Italian Masterclass (Channel 10), with its latest season airing in October 2025. The series is currently funding for Season 4. She has also appeared as a special guest on SBS’s Mastermind in 2025. Her earlier TV credits include the SBS Food series Cook Like an Italian, which has screened internationally across three seasons, as well as Made in Italy with Silvia Colloca (SBS), filmed on location in the Le Marche and Abruzzo regions and earning her a 2015 TV WEEK Logie Award nomination for Best New Talent. She also co-wrote, co-produced and hosted the ABC prime-time series Silvia’s Italian Table in 2016.
Outside of food and television, Silvia has enjoyed a career as a celebrated opera singer and actress. In 2022, she released her debut solo classical album with Universal Music, which topped the Classical Charts for over 20 weeks. That same year, she performed with Andrea Bocelli at his Sydney concert, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Inspiration Starts Here
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