Recipes

Bagna Cauda

  • Serves

    serves 8

MARK FERRI

In Piedmont, winemakers celebrate the end of the grape harvest each year with a dinner that traditionally begins with bagna cauda and ends—according to Piedmontese tradition—with eggs scrambled in the last traces of the sauce.

Ingredients

  • 3 lb. cardoons
  • Juice of 3 lemons
  • 12 cup butter
  • 10 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 24 oil-packed anchovies, chopped
  • 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Assorted raw vegetables such as fennel, baby artichokes, endive, and radicchio

Instructions

Step 1

If you're using cardoons see Preparing Cardoons, then place in a pot of salted water with the lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until cardoons are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, cool, and dry with paper towels.

Step 2

For the "hot bath", melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add garlic and cook until garlic softens, about 3 minutes. Add anchovies and drizzle in olive oil. Cook over low heat, stirring, until flavors are blended, 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Step 3

Serve with raw vegetables —and of course with the cardoons if you wish.

Want more SAVEUR?

Get our favorite recipes, stories, and more delivered to your inbox.