TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Bagna Cauda
A warm Piedmontese dip made by slowly melting garlic and anchovies in olive oil over low heat. Shared in autumn and winter, it is eaten with raw or roasted vegetables.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- GarlicThinly slice and simmer in milk to mellow its pungency.100 g
- Salt-cured anchoviesRemove the salt and bones.100 g
- Extra virgin olive oil150 ml
- ButterOptional; add at the end for a mellower sauce.30 g
- MilkFor simmering the garlic.200 ml
- Seasonal vegetables (cardoons, turnips, bell peppers, carrots, etc.)Cut into sticks.600 g
Method
Simmer the garlic
- 1 Thinly slice 100 g garlic.
- 2 Put in 200 ml milk and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
- 3 Discard the milk and crush the garlic to a paste.
Ready when
Continue when the garlic has softened and the milk has become cloudy.
Caution
Keep the heat low to prevent scorching.
Prepare the sauce
- 1 Put 150 ml olive oil in a small saucepan.
- 2 Add the garlic paste.
- 3 Add 100 g anchovies with the salt and bones removed.
Melt the anchovies
- 1 Set over very low heat.
- 2 Stir patiently for 20–25 minutes with a wooden spoon, breaking down the anchovies.
Ready when
Continue when the anchovies have completely dissolved into a smooth sauce.
Caution
Do not let it burn: scorching makes it bitter and ruins the sauce.
Finish with butter
- 1 Add 30 g butter and stir.
- 2 Remove from the heat.
Ready when
It is ready when the butter has melted and the sauce is evenly mellow.
Serve
- 1 Transfer to a warming dish and serve warm.
- 2 Eat by dipping the vegetables into the sauce.
About this dish
Bagna cauda means “warm sauce” in the Piedmontese dialect. Originally, farm workers gathered around this pot with vegetables during the autumn grape harvest. Salt-cured anchovies from southern France and newly harvested Piedmontese garlic were the stars. Serving it in a special earthenware warmer called a fujot, keeping it warm at the table, embodies Piedmont’s sociable, welcoming food culture.
Authentic bagna cauda varies by region and household, including whether to simmer the garlic in milk or add butter. What all versions share is long, gentle cooking of the garlic to remove its pungency and make it sweet and soft. That matters above all.
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