Bagna Cauda (warm garlic anchovy dip) - Piemonte
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Categories: Healthy, Dairy-Free* substitute water for the milk, Gluten-Free, Season: winter
Bagna cauda means "hot bath" in Italian and is a dip for vegetables. Bagna cauda is seemingly a controversial dish which few should like as it is made with anchovies and garlic. My husband was appalled that I made this for a dinner party so I added a bowl of olive oil and salt and pepper to turn it into a pinzimonio to hedge my bets. Luckily it turned out to be everyone’s favourite dish with the olive oil alternative ignored.
The traditional way of making bagna cauda is to slow stir it over a low flame until the anchovies and garlic melt into the oil. I find that the fail-safe way is to blend them first before heating them so they don’t clump and are perfectly distributed.
Leftover bagna cauda can be stored sealed in the fridge. The leftover spoonfuls can be heated with eggs and scrambled, added to tomato passata with olives and capers and tossed with pasta to make a puttanesca, tossed with boiled agretti or used to cook broccoli or broccoli and pasta.
Bagna cauda means "hot bath" in Italian and is a dip for vegetables. Bagna cauda is seemingly a controversial dish which few should like as it is made with anchovies and garlic. My husband was appalled that I made this for a dinner party so I added a bowl of olive oil and salt and pepper to turn it into a pinzimonio to hedge my bets. Luckily it turned out to be everyone’s favourite dish with the olive oil alternative ignored.
The traditional way of making bagna cauda is to slow stir it over a low flame until the anchovies and garlic melt into the oil. I find that the fail-safe way is to blend them first before heating them so they don’t clump and are perfectly distributed.
Leftover bagna cauda can be stored sealed in the fridge. The leftover spoonfuls can be heated with eggs and scrambled, added to tomato passata with olives and capers and tossed with pasta to make a puttanesca, tossed with boiled agretti or used to cook broccoli or broccoli and pasta.
Author: Woo Wei-Duan
Recipe type: Antipasto (starter)
Cuisine: Piemonte
Serves: 500 grams
Ingredients
- 80 grams garliccloves
- 150 mls whole milk
- 100 grams anchovies(preferably salted, remove fillets)
- 350 mls extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 mls red wine vinegar
- Vegetables to serve with cut into pieces: carrots, celery, chicory, endive, escarole, cabbage, fennel, roasted or raw peppers, roasted beets, cardoons, raw baby artichokes, potatoesboiled in their skin, salad onion soaked in Barbera wine, Jerusalem artichokes, apples, roasted or fried polenta, roasted or fried pumpkin, roasted onions, boiled cauliflower
Instructions
- Place the garlic and milk into a saucepan and cook over low heat for 25 minutes. It should not come to a boil. Drain the milk.
- Place the anchovies, garlic, vinegar and the olive oil into a food processor or blender and blend for 5 minutes until emulsified. (If you do not have a food processor or blender than smash up the garlic with a fork and finely chop the anchovies. It will be less creamy in texture but that is fine.)
- Add to a terracotta pot, double boiler or clay pot and cook over very low heat, stirring for half an hour. It should be warm so as to melt the anchovies but not frying them.
this is not dairy free if you’re soaking the garlic in milk!
Hi Alice, Sorry, for some reason I just saw this now. I think it came through on Christmas day which is completely manic in my house. In any case, thank you for the feedback. I should have added a note to substitute water for milk to make it dairy free. That has now been added, thank you for bringing it to my attention. Best wishes!
Instructions indicate 1,2,4 & 6?
Where is 3 $ 5?
I meant Instructions say 2, 4 & 6.
Missing was 1, 3 & 5.
(???)
Sorry about the numbering, there is a problem with the recipe plug in. Will have a look as I think it is counting some of the photos as numbers. However, there are no instructions missing.
Yes there are easier ways to do the recipe but it depends how strong you like the garlic flavour and if you prefer the flavour of cooked garlic or less cooked garlic. I personally like both but here I went for a milder version. Some add butter or nut oil for part of the oil. You can also rinse the anchovies in red wine. I think they are all delicious versions.
I was taught a simpler Bagna Cauda
recipe with just
oil, chopped garlic, lettuce leaves &
canned (tinned) anchovies.
Heat the oil over medium heat, add garlic & anchovies, emulsifying together with a spoon.
Take cleaned leaf of lettuce by hand and dip into the heated mixture. Eaten straight out of the pan by all.
Amount of ingredients were just done by preference.