Radicchio 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.

BAGNA CàUDA (NORTHERN ITALIAN ANCHOVY-GARLIC DIP) RECIPE

Steps:

• Trim garlic cloves; if desired, halve lengthwise and remove germ from center. (Very developed green germs can add a subtle bitterness to the sauce, though our tests with younger garlic showed no noticeable difference between batches made with and without a more beige germ.) Slice garlic.
• In a small saucepan, combine garlic and milk or water, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook until garlic is soft, about 10 minutes.
• Drain garlic well. Wipe out saucepan, then return garlic to saucepan and cover with olive oil. Cook over very low heat until garlic is very soft and can easily be smashed with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes.
• Add anchovies and cook, stirring and smashing, until they have fully dissolved into the sauce. Continue smashing the garlic and anchovies until a thick purée forms. (If desired, you can very quickly purée the bagna càuda with an immersion blender to make an even smoother sauce.)
• Serve hot with raw vegetables and slices of roasted onion (if using).

PAN-ROASTED BROCCOLI RABE "BAGNA CAUDA"

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Prepare an ice water bath.
• To clean the broccoli rabe, remove the bottom third of the stem, which is fiberous. Remove the larger leaves, leaving the ones which are smaller at the top attached. Blanch the broccoli rabe in the boiling water for about 1 minute until bright green, then transfer to the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Remove the broccoli rabe to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and dry well.
• Add the olive oil to a large cast-iron or stainless steel frying pan and heat over low heat. Add the chile flakes, anchovies and garlic and saute about 1 minute. Add the broccoli rabe and cook, tossing lightly in the oil to coat, until the broccoli rabe is heated through and tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with the Pecorino Romano and serve.

BROCCOLI BAGNA CàUDA

Steps:

• DO THIS:
• 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F with the rack in the middle position.
• 2. In a large bowl, toss together the broccoli and macadamia nut oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Arrange the broccoli in a single layer on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
• 3. Roast the tray of broccoli for 30 to 35 minutes, or until tender and toasty, tossing the broccoli and turning the baking sheet halfway through the cooking time.
• 4. In the mean time, make the bagna càuda. Cook the minced anchovies and olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the anchovies melt into the oil, which should take 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes.
• 5. When the broccoli's done roasting, transfer it to a large bowl, and mix it with the garlic-anchovy sauce, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

RADICCHIO WITH WALNUT ANCHOVY SAUCE

Steps:

• Rinse anchovies briefly and chop. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over low heat in a small skillet and add anchovies and garlic. Stir until garlic is fragrant and just beginning to color and anchovies have broken down into smaller bits. Transfer to a mortar and pestle. Use pestle to grind mixture into a paste. Add lemon juice or vinegar to the still-hot pan and stir to deglaze bottom of pan, then transfer to mortar and pestle. Add mustard. Work together, then slowly add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and walnut oil, one tablespoon at a time, working each tablespoon into anchovy mixture before adding next. Work in walnuts and mash with the pestle until the sauce is thick. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper (the anchovies should provide enough salt).
• Heat a heavy cast iron pan over medium heat or prepare a medium-hot grill. Cut radicchio into wedges - about 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick at the widest point. Place in a bowl and toss with remaining olive oil. It should be lightly coated all over. Season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning often, until lightly colored, charred in places and soft, about 8 to 10 minutes (do this in batches if using a pan).
• Arrange radicchio on plates or on a platter. Either drizzle the sauce over the radicchio or serve it in ramekins with each serving. Serve radicchio hot or at room temperature.

SUMMER CRUDITéS WITH BAGNA CAUDA

Steps:

• Combine garlic and oil in a small saucepan and cook over low heat, shaking pan occasionally, until garlic is golden and very tender, 15-20 minutes. (Reduce heat if garlic is browning too quickly.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a cutting board and mash to a paste.
• Add anchovies and walnuts to garlic oil and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until anchovies disintegrate and walnuts are golden brown, 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in garlic paste, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer bagna cauda to a shallow dish.
• Squeeze 3 lemon halves into a bowl of cold water. Working one at a time, remove several layers of tough outer leaves from artichokes to reveal tender light-green leaves. Trim stem and peel with a vegetable peeler. Cut off top third from artichokes, then halve lengthwise and transfer to lemon water.
• Cook artichokes in a large pot of boiling salted water until a knife slides easily through outer leaves, 5-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of ice water and let sit until cold, about 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
• Meanwhile, return water in pot to a boil and cook eggs 8 minutes. Drain and transfer eggs to a fresh bowl of ice water; let sit until cold, about 5 minutes. Drain, peel, then cut in half.
• Arrange eggs and all vegetables on a platter. Season with salt and pepper and squeeze remaining lemon half over. Serve with bagna cauda for dipping.

SPRING SALAD WITH BAGNA CAUDA DRESSING

Steps:

• Make the dressing: Chop the anchovies and garlic to a rough paste, or pound together in a mortar. Place in a small saucepan, add olive oil and simmer over medium heat, without browning, for 2 minutes, until anchovies have dissolved. Transfer to a small bowl and whisk in crème fraîche, lemon zest and lemon juice. Set aside to cool.
• Arrange all the vegetables artfully on a large platter and garnish with eggs. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle 4 tablespoons of the dressing over the salad and serve. Pass the remaining dressing at the table.