Photograph of a “cookster” courtesy of Wikipedia.

I know I’m an acquired taste. I’m anchovies, and not everybody wants those hairy little things.” Tory Amos

I don’t know whether or not Tory Amos’ music is an acquired taste. I do know that anchovies are. I didn’t take to them until I was about nineteen or twenty. Before that, it was indeed all about potato chips and onion dip.

Bagna caôda, warm bath, is a pungent vegetable and bread dip that is served in the same manner as fondue. Unlike the usual sour cream and cream cheese dips which use soup mixes for flavoring, this has no chemical additives and no wheat-or-gluten. It is high in fat – as are so many other dips – including cholesterol. You could choose to make it entirely with olive oil and cut the cholesterol.  It would be just as tasty.

This is actually another one of my favorite dishes because it is quick and easy to make and quite flexible and forgiving.  The basics are olive oil, butter, garlic, and anchovies. I made it at Thanksgiving and didn’t use garlic because I served bread with roasted garlic. Other additions might include finely minced fresh parsely or cilantro, red pepper flakes or cracked black pepper. And, actually, if you don’t like anchovies or want to go vegan, you could do a dip with olive oil, garlic, parsley and red pepper.  It would be something different, but it would be good.

I usually use one-part unsalted butter to three-parts olive oil.  That’s basic and the rest is a matter of taste. After you make it a few times, you will find your own preferences.  It is served in a small chaffing dish because it needs to be kept warm.  My original server for bagna caôda is long gone. I found an appropriately-sized fondue set at a home supply store. The set was actually meant to make a chocolate fondue for strawberries. It worked just fine for my bagna caôda.

After Thanksgiving, there were a couple of tablespoons of the dip left. I put it aside and used it as a sauce to dress a small dish of brown-rice pasta the next day.  It could just as easily have been used to dress some steamed veggies or baked fish. No reason ever for waste.

Bagna Caôda is served in traditional fondue manner with bread for dunking, but also with lots of crudités. These may include bell pepper, fennel, celery, baby carrots, or anything else that appeals to you.

Anchovies are small, oily fish.  Once slivered, they are brined and then packed in oil or salt, usually in tins or glass.

Bagna Caôda

The recipe

Serves six

1 cup extra virgin olive oil, best you can afford

1/3 cup unsalted butter

2 cloves of garlic

8 anchovies (or to taste)

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely minced

Place the olive oil, butter, and garlic in a sauce pan over a moderate heat and gently melt the butter.  Simmer a couple of minutes and then remove the garlic and put the anchovies in.  The anchovies will disintegrate.  When they do, add the pepper and parsley.  Pour the mixture into a small fondue server.  Place the server on a large platter and surround it with crudités and cubes of fresh, GF French or Italian loaf. Place cocktail napkins, small plates, and fondue forks near by for guests. Light the candle underneath to keep the sauce warm.