Bagna Cauda
It is fascinating that anchovies have become so much a part of the food of Piedmont, although
it does not border the sea. The reason for their popularity is that merchants would take their
goods to the ports to be shipped and then, rather than come back empty handed, would load up
with the salty little fish. Bagna Cauda means ‘hot sauce’ and it makes the best dip or dressing
for crunchy vegetables like peppers, celery, cardoons, radicchio leaves or carrot sticks. Serves 4
Ingredients:
120 g anchovies (rinsed, if salted)
5 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
milk
cardoons (or other crunchy vegetables), for dipping
lemon juice
60 g unsalted butter
275 ml olive oil
a bunch of parsley, chopped
country-style rustic bread
Fillet the anchovies if necessary, mash and place in a bowl. Marinate the garlic slices in a
little milk for a couple of hours. Wash the cardoons, cut each piece to include some heart, and
place in cold water with some lemon juice.
Gently heat the butter and oil in a saucepan and add the anchovy paste. Strain the garlic
from the milk and add it to the oil, stirring occasionally. Continue to gently heat for 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the parsley. Using a fondue set or hotplate, place the Bagna
Cauda mixture on a low heat. Each person should take a piece of cardoon and dip it into the
mixture, eating it with the rustic bread and some red wine from Piedmont.
*taken from the book ‘From Seed to plate’ by Paolo Arrigo, published by Simon and Schuster
