Hot Garlic and Anchovy Dip (Bagna Càuda)
Bagna càuda Say it: BAH-nyah KOW-dah
Bagna càuda — 'hot bath' in Piedmontese — is the warming autumn and winter appetizer of Italy's Piedmont region, brought to the table in a terracotta pot kept over a flame. Garlic, anchovies, butter and olive oil melt into a deep amber, savoury dip that is far more mellow than its ingredients suggest. Diners dunk raw and cooked vegetables: cardoons, peppers, carrots, fennel, boiled potatoes. It is a communal, unhurried dish, traditionally shared after the grape harvest and through the cold months.
Hot Garlic and Anchovy Dip (Bagna Càuda)
Bagna càuda
Pronounced BAH-nyah KOW-dah
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains fish, milk. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the dip
For dipping
Method
Get the vegetables ready first. boil the potatoes until a knife slides in easily, about 20 minutes, and blanch the cabbage leaves for 2 minutes. Cut everything into comfortable dipping pieces and pile them on a board or platter.
Lightly crush the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife so they split but hold together.
Warm the olive oil in a small terracotta or heavy saucepan over the lowest possible heat. Add the garlic and cook gently for 10-12 minutes, until it is soft and pale gold but never browned.
Add the butter and let it melt into the oil without sizzling, then add the anchovies.
Mash the anchovies against the pan with a wooden spoon and stir for 5-8 minutes, until they dissolve completely into a smooth, amber sauce.
Pour in the milk and stir for 3-4 minutes more, until the dip looks glossy and lightly thickened; it should barely tremble, never bubble hard.
Taste — the anchovies usually bring enough salt — and lift out the garlic cloves if you want a gentler dip, or leave them in and mash them into the sauce.
Pour the hot dip into a warm terracotta bowl and keep it warm over a candle or a very low flame, then set it in the middle of the table for dunking.
Regional variant: Bagna càuda with milk (Bagna càuda al latte)
Many Piedmontese families soften the punch of the garlic by increasing the milk to 1 cup (240 ml) and letting it reduce gently with the anchovies for 10 minutes. The result is paler, creamier and milder, and the garlic cloves are always left in and crushed into the sauce. Keep the heat low so the milk does not catch.
Cook's notes
- Never let the garlic brown: once it colours, the dip turns bitter and cannot be rescued.
- If you use salt-packed anchovies, rinse them well under cold water and pat dry before adding — they are saltier than the oil-packed kind.
- The dip thickens as it sits; loosen it with a spoonful of warm milk or water rather than more oil.
Serve with
Raw and cooked vegetables, warm bread, and a glass of Barbera or Nebbiolo.
Make ahead and storage
Best made just before serving; it can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, then reheated very gently with a splash of milk.
