Classic Bagna Cauda Food

CLASSIC BAGNA CAUDA

Steps:

• Combine the butter and oil in a saucepan and add the garlic. Cook over the lowest heat for 15 minutes without letting the mixture boil.
• Chop the anchovies and add to the oil. Stir until the anchovies dissolve. Do not let the sauce boil or brown. Season with salt if needed. Keep hot over a candle or spirit lamp. (See note.)
• Prepare an assortment of raw vegetables, like cucumber, cauliflowerettes, strips of green pepper, celery, carrots and endive. Serve separately for dipping.

BAGNA CAUDA

Steps:

• Put the oil in a pan with the garlic and anchovies and cook over low heat, stirring, until you have a melted, muddy mess. Everything should begin to meld together. Whisk in 6 tablespoons of butter, and as soon as it has melted, remove from the heat and give a few more beats of your whisk so that everything is creamy and amalgamated. Taste, and if you feel you want this as a dipping sauce - which is meant to be pungent but not acrid. If you want the sauce a little more mellow, whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Pour into a dish that, ideally, fits over a flame so that it does not get cold at the table.
• Dip in the crudites and eat.

BAGNA CAUDA

Steps:

• In a hot pan, pour a good amount of olive oil in. When the oil starts to warm up, add garlic and turn the flame down.
• Add the anchovies, if using (don't worry about mincing them as they will dissolve in the mixture). The anchovies should cook in the garlic oil until the garlic becomes brown and the anchovies dissolve.
• When the garlic gets light brown, about 5 minutes, add chili flakes until they toast up and then turn flame off. Add more olive oil and salt and pepper for flavor.
• Right before you heat the sauce in your fondue pot, add some minced parsley to cook in the sauce.

BAGNA CAUDA

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook until tender. Reduce heat to low. Mix in anchovy filets and heavy cream. Cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat, cover and chill in the refrigerator approximately 2 hours.
• Return the mixture to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbly. Serve hot.

BAGNA CAUDA

Steps:

• In a small sauté pan, heat olive oil, garlic, lemon and anchovies over a very low flame until mixture just begins to bubble, about 2 minutes. Add capers and parsley, stir and simmer a minute longer. Anchovies will break up. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off flame, and serve in pan as a dip for julienned vegetables and cubes of a Tuscan-style loaf or a baguette.

CREAMY BAGNA CAUDA

Steps:

• Saute garlic in butter until light brown but NOT SCORCHED.
• Add anchovy filets, then cream.
• Hold out about 1/2 cup cream and combine with cornstarch.
• Stir thickener into mixture.
• Bring to a SIMMER but DO NOT BOIL.
• Stir constantly until thickened.
• You can place this in a fondue pot and serve with small, bite size assorted veggies or bread cubes.
• Some suggestions are carrot slices, artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, celery slices, cabbage leaves, Belgian Endive, broccoli florets, etc.
• Guests can dip their choice into the warm sauce.

BAGNA CAUDA

Steps:

• Blend all ingredients except lemon juice in blender until smooth; pour into medium saucepan.
• Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Cover; simmer on medium-low heat 15 min., stirring occasionally.
• Stir in lemon juice.

CLASSIC BAGNA CAUDA

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in a heavy fondue pot, or saucepan, and simmer on LOW for 5 minutes.
• Serve with a platter of bite-size young vegetables (thinly sliced if the vegetables are fibrous), such as carrots, artichoke hearts, celery, cherry tomatoes, green pepper, zucchini, Belgian endive, and cabbage leaves.
• Or serve with bread cubes for dipping.
• Let the guests dip their choices into the warm sauce with fondue forks.