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BAGNA CAUDA
(Raw Vegetables with a Garlic-Anchovy Bath)
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This is a very traditional Piemontese antipasto, often served as a snack in the early evening, particularly during white truffle season in the fall, when the sauce is enhanced with truffles. Its name means, literally, “warm bath,” and if there’s any left over, Mario Batali likes to crack an egg or two into the dregs of the garlicky bath, mix them together, and pour the scented eggs into a waiting hot frying pan – scrambled eggs! Then he grates some white truffle over the whole thing and eats “spoonful after loving spoonful.” Serve the Bagna Cauda in a fondue pot, with long forks for spearing the “dippers.”
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MAKES 4 SERVINGS
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for the garlic-anchovy bath:
1/4 cup, whole milk
12 cloves, garlic- sliced paper-thin
1 cup, extra-virgin olive oil
8 tablespoons (1 stick), unsalted butter
1/4 cup, anchovy fillets - rinsed and drained
freshly ground black pepper
for dipping:
1 fennel bulb – trimmed, cored, and cut into thick strips
4 cardoon stalks – peeled and blanched in boiling water for 10
minutes
1 red bell pepper – cored, seeded, and cut into bite-sized squares
1 yellow bell pepper – cored, seeded, and cut into bit sized squares
1 loaf Italian peasant bread – cut into chunks
[Cook’s Note: of course, you may select any vegetables of your choice, or use the above choices]
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Combine the milk and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the milk into a small bowl, and reserve the garlic.
In a medium saucepan, combine the olive oil and butter and heat over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the garlic, 2 tablespoons of the garlic cooking milk, the anchovy fillets, and pepper to taste. Use an immersion blender to blend until well combined, or transfer the mixture to a regular blender and blend well, being careful with the hot oil. (The sauce will not remain emulsified very long – that would not be very Italian.) Pour the bagna cauda into a warmed fondue pot and place over a flame to keep warm. Serve with the vegetables and bread for dipping.
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Recipe adapted from: Molto Italiano, by Mario Batali (Harper Collins) |
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