Bagna cauda

Bagna cauda makes an excellent pair with greens like escarole, radicchio, and chicory. Use it as a dressing for salad or a dip for crudite. My favorite way to eat bagna cauda is to make a bruschetta with heirloom tomatoes, garnished with Maldon sea salt and micro greens. 

Ingredients 

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 

3 medium shallots, thinly sliced into rounds

6 Anchovy filet

1 cup sunflower oil, or other high quality neutral oil

2 egg yolk, room temperature

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

1. In a medium sauce pot combine the garlic, shallot and oil. Simmer on low heat, stirring frequently, for 15-18 minutes, until crispy and LIGHT golden brown. It will continue to darken when taken off the heat.

2. Remove from heat and add the anchovy filets, it will slightly sizzle. Once cooled, blend the anchovy, garlic and shallot oil in a vitamix or blender. 

3. Transfer the oil mixture to a liquid measuring cup. Clean and thoroughly dry the vitamix. 

4. Add two egg yolks to the vitamix and blend on medium speed for about 1 minute.

5. With the blender running on medium, add one or two drops of the oil mixture in with the egg yolks. Then gradually and slowly pour in the oil mixture in a steady stream. Once about half the oil mixture is in the blender, pause and scrape down the sides. Continue blending and pouring in the oil. The mixture will thicken and become an aioli consistency. 

6. Add lemon juice and a tablespoon of water at a time and stir until the bagna cauda is the desired thickness.