Bagna Cauda ♥ Thank you Teresa!
The classic Piemontese (Northern Italian) winter warmer: Bagna Cauda, a hot, garlicky, savory dip for winter vegetables and bread.
In Piemontese dialect, Bagna Cauda translates to “hot bath”. Ingredients include olive oil, butter, garlic and anchovies or other ingredient if you prefer. Prepare your veggies and breads by cutting them into manageable dipping pieces. While winter vegetables are the tradition with Bagna Cauda, any vegetables will do! Artichokes, radicchio, sunchokes, scallions, bell peppers, carrots and fennel are tasty.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons garlic, chopped very fine
8-10 anchovy fillets, chopped fine (or other ingredient that you like)
Salt
How to:
• Fill the bottom pan of a double-boiler (or place one saucepan atop another and fill the bottom one) with water in it and bring it to a lively simmer.
• Put the oil and butter in the top saucepan.
• Place the top pan of the double boiler (Pan Cauda pan) on medium low on a separate burner.
• Heat the oil and butter until the butter is thoroughly liquefied and just barely begins to foam. If you let it get past this stage, it will become too hot.
• Add the garlic to the butter and sauté very briefly. It must not take on any color.
• Place the Bagna Cauda pan (oil and butter) over the bottom pan with simmering water so it stays warm.
• Add the chopped anchovies to the pan Bagna Cauda pan (oil and butter) and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon while using the back of it to mash the anchovies, until they dissolve into a paste.
• Add salt, stir, and bring to the table over a warming apparatus. (Fondue pots, chafing dish, or candle-lit butter warmers all do a great job).
Buon Appetito!