Piedmont
Preparation - Easy
Party Appetizer

A tasty dip for raw vegetables. Perfect for a simple dinner party or for a large gathering at a cocktail party.

Bagna cauda literally means "hot sauce". It comes from the Piedmont region and the dip is best kept warm over a small food warmer or spirit flame in a flameproof bowl or dish.

Traditionally, vegetables such as artichoke bottoms and/or hearts, radishes, cauliflower, fennel, spring onions, cucumbers, yellow, red, and green bell peppers, mushrooms, celery, cardoons, cabbage, carrots and cooked asparagus are cut into strips.

You can also steam/cook potatoes, turnips, and whatever vegetables you want, let them cool and use to dip.

This versatile sauce can also be used to dress fried filet of sole, baked halibut and so on. Any leftover sauce can be used as a topping for cooked cauliflower or broccoli.

• 1-cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped very fine, or, preferably crushed with a pestle
• 1, 2-oz can flat anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained, chopped very fine

Prepare the vegetables that you choose to serve by slicing them thinly or in strips.

Melt the butter in a deep earthenware bowl or saucepan over very low heat, making sure butter does not bubble - just long enough to get butter hot.

As soon as the butter is melted add the olive oil and let it heat through.

Add the garlic and sauté for an instant or two, (if crushed will cook faster than chopped) Do not let the garlic color at all. Remove.

Add the anchovies, stirring and mashing them with a wooden spoon.

Simmer for 3 or 4 minutes over very low heat, stirring continuously.

Sauce is ready when smooth in texture.

Keep warm the sauce warm over a spirit flame or canned heat burner.