Creamy Bagna Cauda Recipes

BAGNA CAUDA

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook until tender. Reduce heat to low. Mix in anchovy filets and heavy cream. Cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat, cover and chill in the refrigerator approximately 2 hours.
• Return the mixture to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbly. Serve hot.

CREAMY BAGNA CAUDA II

Steps:

• Blend butter, anchovies, garlic, half& half, and mushroom soup in a blender or food processor.
• Pour in a heavy saucepan or fondue pot and heat until warm.
• DO NOT BOIL!
• Serve in a fondue pot or small slow cooker.
• Dip bread cubes or veges in warm sauce.

CREAMY BAGNA CAUDA

Steps:

• Saute garlic in butter until light brown but NOT SCORCHED.
• Add anchovy filets, then cream.
• Hold out about 1/2 cup cream and combine with cornstarch.
• Stir thickener into mixture.
• Bring to a SIMMER but DO NOT BOIL.
• Stir constantly until thickened.
• You can place this in a fondue pot and serve with small, bite size assorted veggies or bread cubes.
• Some suggestions are carrot slices, artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, celery slices, cabbage leaves, Belgian Endive, broccoli florets, etc.
• Guests can dip their choice into the warm sauce.

BAGNA CAUDA

Steps:

• Put the oil in a pan with the garlic and anchovies and cook over low heat, stirring, until you have a melted, muddy mess. Everything should begin to meld together. Whisk in 6 tablespoons of butter, and as soon as it has melted, remove from the heat and give a few more beats of your whisk so that everything is creamy and amalgamated. Taste, and if you feel you want this as a dipping sauce - which is meant to be pungent but not acrid. If you want the sauce a little more mellow, whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Pour into a dish that, ideally, fits over a flame so that it does not get cold at the table.
• Dip in the crudites and eat.

BAGNA-CAUDA BUTTER (WITH GARLIC AND ANCHOVIES)

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. When the oil just begins to warm, add the garlic and anchovies and cook slowly, stirring until the garlic becomes toasty brown and the anchovies dissolve (about ten minutes). Let cool completely.
• Process the butter in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add the cooled garlic-anchovy mixture and a pinch of salt. Process until well blended. Taste and add more salt if needed. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the parsley. Refrigerate until firm enough to shape into a log.
• Put an 18-inch sheet of aluminum foil on your work surface. Spoon the butter down the center of the foil into a log about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Enclose in foil and twist the ends to make a sealed log, like a tootsie roll. Refrigerate for up to one week, or freeze for up to six months.

CREAMY BAGNA CAUDA

Steps:

• Wash and prepare the vegetables several hours before using them. Cut vegetable into strips about 3 inches long and 1/2-inch wide. Place all the vegetables in ice water to crisp. NOTE: Remember, this is a dip for vegetables freshly picked at the peak. Use only the youngest, sweetest variety of them as possible, and before serving pat all the vegetables dry with a towel. In a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, add cream and garlic cloves; bring just to a boil, lower heat to medium, and cook, stirring constantly to prevent scorching or boiling over, approximately 15 minutes or untilthe cream has thickened and reduced by half (approximately 1 cup). Remove from heat and let cool slightly. In another saucepan, melt the butter (or olive oil). Mash anchovies with a fork and add to butter, along with cayenne pepper and parsley; cook until the anchovies dissolves into a paste, about 5 minutes. Put the reduced cream, garlic cloves, and anchovy mixture into a blender and purée until the mixture is very smooth. (The recipe may be made ahead to this point.) In a saucepan, reheat the Bagna Cauda at a very slow simmer, stirring constantly, but do not let it boil. Serve in warming dish over candle (a fondue pot works well). If sauce begins to separate while standing, a few turns with a whisk will bring it back together. Sauce may be made ahead and kept refrigerated in covered jar. To re-warm, place jar in cold water in a pan and gently raise the heat until mixture is liquid again. Dip vegetables into the Bagna Cauda (a fondue-style fork will help), holding a piece of bread under the vegetable after dipping. After dipping a few pieces, the bread will be fragrant with oil and delicious to eat. Makes 6 to 8 servings (1 1/2 cups).

CRISPY ARTICHOKE HEARTS WITH CREAMY BAGNA CAUDA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper; set aside.
• In medium bowl, mix bread crumbs, cheese and 1 tablespoon melted butter; set aside.
• In large bowl, mix artichokes and egg. Shake excess egg from artichoke hearts; coat each artichoke heart in bread crumb mixture, pressing mixture lightly to adhere, and place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. Discard leftover egg. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.
• Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, place cream and garlic cloves; heat just to boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; simmer 13 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching or boiling over, or until cream has thickened and reduced by half (about 1 cup). Remove from heat; cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Add anchovies and pepper flakes; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until anchovies fall apart. Cool 5 minutes.
• When cool enough to handle, add cream mixture and butter mixture to blender. Cover; blend 20 to 30 seconds or until very smooth.
• In 2-quart saucepan, heat sauce just to a low simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly; do not boil. Pour into fondue pot or heatproof serving bowl, and keep warm over low heat. Bagna cauda sauce, like fondue, must be served over heat to maintain its smooth, creamy texture. Stir in lemon peel. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve with artichoke hearts. If sauce separates, stir until smooth.

BAGNA CALDA (ITALIAN GARLIC-ANCHOVY-SARDINE APPETIZER)

Steps:

• Place the canola oil in a skillet and heat over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the butter, anchovies, and sardines. Cook and stir until well blended, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.