Bagna Cauda
Traditional Piedmont dish which literally translates to “hot bath”.
Pungent garlic and anchovy dip.
Traditionally eaten as part of a Christmas eve buffet!
Any kinds of different veg, cooked or raw, can be used and dipped into the sauce.
We like to take inspiration from our fritto misto recipe too and tempura some veg to dip in also!
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 14 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
- 240ml milk
- 120ml olive oil
- 100g oil tinned anchovy fillets
- 100g radishes served raw
- Red chicory leaves served raw
- 1 yellow pepper sliced served raw
- 1 red pepper sliced served raw
- 2 packets broccoli florets
- 18 asparagus stalks, trimmed
- Tempura mix if you like (Most supermarkets have them but I will make a substitute batter here instead)
- 125g all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 120ml white wine
- 60ml seltzer or club soda
- Oil for frying
Method
- Make your batter.
- Mix together flour and ½ tsp salt.
- Whisk in the wine and whisk until its very smooth.
- Rest for 30 minutes. Add your club soda just before frying veg.
- Preheat your deep fat fryer or in a pan, heat enough olive oil,at least 2 inches thick, to 170 celsius.
- In a separate small saucepan over medium heat, combine your garlic with your milk and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Drain garlic and clean the pan.
- Lob the garlic on the heat and cover with olive oil.
- Cook over medium low heat for another 10 minutes.
- Add in your anchovies now and as its cooking begin to break it all up.
- Begin smashing the garlic and anchovies then so it forms a puree style texture.
- Or just blend the thing you lazy f*ckers.
- Leave in the pot over low heat to keep warm.
- Assemble all your raw veggies on a sharing platter.
- Mix your broccolini and asparagus through the veg batter and set aside on a plate. Draining any excess batter off.
- Fry in batches for 3 minutes.
- Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
- Add fried veg to the sharing platter.
- Pour Bagna Cauda into a small bowl in the centre of the sharing platter.
- Enjoy.