Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Recipe from the Zampieri's first Christmas...

Things are going to be yummy this year! Stinky, yes, but the end result is soooo worth it...

We are headed to Marco's aunt and uncle's house tomorrow morning to spend the day. There will be a TON of food and I cannot tell you how excited we are to spend the time together enjoying the bounty we will share. Marco, his parents, and I are preparing something yummy to bring to the feast and I thought it'd be fun to bring a little bit of our Christmas to you!

We have a delicious and super smelly antipasto called bagna caüda. It is basically a pureé of garlic and anchovies in olive oil, served hot with raw vegetables for dipping. I know, it sounds ridiculous, but I promise you...it's one of the most amazingly delicious things I've ever eaten. Here's the recipe...

Bagna Caüda
  • 300g anchovies cleaned/person
  • one full head garlic/person
  • olive oil
  • panna (heavy cream)
  • milk
  • raw vegetables for dipping (we like carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers, fennel, and celery; fingerling potatoes and onions that have been roasted plain are also good)
Cleaning the anchovies is the biggest job. If you buy anchovies in a can or get them from the market salted they will most likely need to be cleaned at home. If you buy them already cleaned and in oil, make sure to rinse them well to remove some of the saltiness, otherwise your mouth will hurt after eating! Set the cleaned and rinsed anchovies aside in a strainer to let some of the water drain off. Clean the garlic you will be using - peel and remove the middle part where it looks like a new sprout is growing. Place all of the cleaned garlic cloves in a pot on the stove and cover them with milk. Bring to a boil and let cook until garlic is soft and can be smashed with a fork. Drain milk from garlic and set aside. Heat some oil in a saucepan large enough to hold the anchovies. Place anchovies in pan and cook until they have completely disintegrated - add oil until about half of the anchovies are covered. While the anchovies are cooking, place the garlic in a food processor and process until you have a paste. When the anchovies have cooked down completely, add them to the food processor and process together with the garlic. Add milk until the consistency somewhat runnier than hummus (you should be able to take a spoonful and allow it to easily drizzle out). The best way to serve this is in a ceramic pot similar to one you would use for fondue (with a candle underneath) so it stays warm the entire time you are eating it. Gather around the pot with your veggies and enjoy!

a good dose of garlic purée....                                                        ...and a healthy dose of anchovies!               

No comments:

Post a Comment