Piedmontese Bagna Cauda with Winter Vegetables

⏱ 55 min · Serves 4

A gloriously pungent Piedmontese warm dip of anchovies, garlic and olive oil, slow-melted with milk and butter until silky. Set it over a candle in the middle of the table with a heap of raw and roasted vegetables and let everyone dunk.

Per serving: 640 kcal · 15.0g protein · 29.0g carbs · 52.0g fat

Ingredients

• 12 salted anchovy fillets (about 80g), or good oil-packed anchovies, drained
• 10 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 250 ml whole milk
• 200 ml extra virgin olive oil (a mild Ligurian style)
• 40 g unsalted butter, cubed
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 red peppers, cut into thick strips
• 4 celery sticks, cut into batons
• 2 carrots, cut into batons
• 1 small fennel bulb, cut into wedges
• 1 head chicory or radicchio, leaves separated
• 300 g small potatoes, halved
• 1 tbsp olive oil for roasting
• Crusty bread, to serve

Method

1. If using salted anchovies, rinse them well under cold water, pat dry and remove any bones. Chop roughly.
2. Put the sliced garlic in a small pan with the milk. Bring barely to a simmer and cook very gently for 15 minutes, until the garlic is completely soft. Do not let it colour.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Toss the potatoes with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt, and roast for 30 minutes until golden. Add the pepper strips for the last 12 minutes.
4. Mash the garlic into the milk with a fork or blitz briefly with a stick blender for a smoother dip.
5. Add the anchovies and the olive oil to the pan. Cook on the lowest possible heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until the anchovies have melted into a fragrant, pale bronze sauce. Never let it boil or fry.
6. Whisk in the butter a cube at a time until glossy. Season with plenty of black pepper; it should need no salt.
7. Pour into a warm earthenware pot or small fondue burner. Serve at the table with the raw celery, carrot, fennel and chicory, the hot potatoes and peppers, and bread for mopping.