Ingredients

• 1 garlic clove
• 500ml reduced-fat milk
• 5 anchovy fillets
• 20g walnuts
• 65ml extra virgin olive oil
• Seasonal vegetables (such as baby carrot, cucumber, baby fennel, turnip, celery, witlof)

Serves: 3

Preparation: 40 Minutes

Method

1. Place the garlic clove in a small saucepan and add half the milk. Cook on low for 15- 20 mins. Strain the milk keeping the garlic, and reserve the garlic milk for another day.
2. Return the garlic to the saucepan and add the other half milk (this process allows the garlic flavour to mellow out). Bring to a small simmer and cook for another 20 mins.
3. Strain the garlic again but this time reserve the milk in a jug. Return the garlic to the pan, turn off the heat, then blend to a smooth paste with a stick blender, adding just enough of the reserved milk to create a creamy, not too runny sauce.  
4. Put the pan back on low heat, then add the anchovies and walnuts and whizz again until smooth. (Alternatively, put the garlic in the small bowl of a food processor or mini chopper and whizz with just enough milk until smooth. Whizz in the anchovies and walnuts, then gently heat in a pan.)
5. Stir in the oil. The bagna cauda shouldn’t need much seasoning but taste it to see.

Traditionally we eat it the dip with vegetables such as peppers, fennel, roast onions, celery, Jerusalem artichokes and cardoons.

It’s also great with crudités, cubes of bread or boiled new potatoes!