If you are looking for some exotic sauces for your next brunch spread that has a spread of Italian recipes, then you must try the Italian bagna cauda. This condiment translates to hot sauce, with bagna refers to sauce and cauda meaning hot, in the Piedmontese dialect, from the northwest Italian region of Piedmont. This condiment is used to as a dipping sauce for bread and raw vegetables. The dip is a a robust mix of anchovies and garlic, with a rich umami depth to it.
One of the many rustic Italian recipes from the Piedmont region made by the peasant farmers, to celebrate the harvest as a community. Local say that bagna cauda makes the old young again, with its unconventional flavours. If you happen to like caesar salad, you might like this fishy and garlicky dip too. A good bagna cauda dip has an obscene amount of garlic, anchovies, butter and loads of extra virgin olive oil.
One of the most homely Italian recipes, it is traditionally served in small terracotta pots called fujot. The dip is kept warm, by keeping it over a tiny flame while diners gather around the table sharing seasonal vegetables and bread. Historians believe the dish dates back to the Middle Ages, 16th century, when salted anchovies travelled through ancient salt routes connecting Piedmont to Liguria.
Ingredients
UNITSIngredients
20 Garlic cloves (finely chopped)
½ cupExtra virgin olive oil
½ cupAnchovies (drained of oil and packed)
½ cupUnsalted butter or more extra virgin olive oil
Follow
Directions
Description - Step 1
Step 1: Preparing the garlic
Add the olive oil and garlic into a pan and set it on a medium-low heat. Let the garlic soften, but not brown. It should not take more than 10 minutes.
Description - Step 2
Step 2: Preparing the garlic
Add the anchovies once the garlic softens and reduce the flame to low. The fish will melt and turn the garlic concoction saucy.
Description - Step 3
Step 3: Adding the butter and making the dip
Add the unsalted butter and keep cooking the bagna cauda over low heat, until a cohesive mix. Serve with bread and seasonal vegetable sticks.
The most famous soup in Italy is minestrone, a hearty vegetable soup made with seasonal ingredients like beans, tomatoes, carrots, and pasta or rice.
In Italy, it is generally not considered rude to not finish your plate. However, finishing most of your meal is seen as a compliment to the chef and appreciation of the food.
Italians most commonly eat anchovies, sardines, and cod. Anchovies are especially popular in southern Italy and are used widely in sauces, pizzas, and traditional dishes.
Bagna cauda is usually paired with raw or lightly cooked vegetables such as carrots, celery, bell peppers, fennel, radishes, cauliflower, and cardoons.