BAGNA BAGNA CACAÔÔDADA

Ingredients

For 4-5 people

200 grams of salted anchovies (about 12)• 3-4 cloves of garlic • 200-250 grams of olive oil• 40 grams of butter • plenty of vegetables

PreparationPreparation

In an earthenware pot add the oil, to be heated slowly, then add a mixture of chopped anchovies and garlic, until you obtain a liquid but not homogeneus sauce (be careful, don’t let it fry!).

Garlic is the basic ingredient of this recipe but often its intense flavour is only for “tough men”, as General Alfonso Lamarmora said.

To prevent digestive problems, it’s possible, during the preparation to remove the “core” of the garlic and soak the cloves in cold water, or better, boil them in milk.

The vegetables are the most enjoyable aspect of the dish. You can choose from the renowned cardoon grown in the area of Nizza Monferrato, the typical topinambur, turnips, potatoes, peppers, Savoy cabbages, carrots; but you can also use eggs and rennet apples.

The fresh vegetables, which can be either cut into thin strips or boiled, are arranged in dishes from which the guests help themselves and dip them directly into the sauce, in a lively and friendly atmosphere.

The grand finale poses a further challeng for your stomach. Each guest should have a fresh egg in the bottom of the container which is then scrambled in order to mop the tasty leftovers of the sauce up with the other guests.

Never use it as a shovelOur esteemed experts unanimously

suggest:“There are no turns or strict rules to observe when you eat bagna caoda together, apart from one: dip only one piece of vegetables at a time and, above all, don’t use it as a shovel to collect only the dense part of the sauce, leaving the remaining oil to the others !”