Bagna caoda (Warm dipping sauce - region Piedmont)

The bagna caoda is a typical dipping sauce of the Northern region Piemonte (Piedmont) and it it is usually eaten in autumn with fresh vegetables.

Being a very nourishing recipe, it is usually eaten as main dish, though it can sometimes be served as an appetiser during a dinner with friends.

Its origin is quite obscure but it is almost certain that it dates back to the late Middle Ages.

It is always eaten very warm  and it is usually served in the typical fujot, a recipient made of terracotta or copper under which a flame can be fitted to keep the dip warm all the time. 

Ingredients

desalinated anchovies (remove any fishbones) – 100 g

4 cloves of garlic

oil – 250 g

a bit of butter

a glass of milk

cream

raw vegetables: celery, radishes, carrots, peppers, turnips, Belgian endive, fennels, cauliflowers, zucchini etc…

Preparation

Crush the cloves of garlic and leave them to soak for about 2 hours in the milk. Heat the oil in an earthenware pot, add the drained cloves of garlic and crush them into a cream by means of a wooden spoon. Add the desalinated anchovies (from which you have previously removed fishbones) 2 tablespoons of cream, a bit of butter and cook, without boiling, while stirring until the anchovies have completely melted.

Pour into a plate which fits on a flame, to keep it warm, and place it in the centre of the table for your guests to dip the vegetables.