Bagna Cauda- Piedmontese Garlic and Anchovy Sauce (Piedmont)

Appetizers

This sauce is one of the specialties of Piedmontese cooking, served whenever the Piedmontese feel hungry, accompanied by coarse red wine. The name literally means "hot bath" because raw vegetables, in particular tender cardoons, celery, peppers, artichokes and chicory, are dipped into it. It is usual to serve bangna cauda in this pan in which it has been cooked, kept hot at table over a small spirit stove.

Heat the butter and oil together in a shallow pan, earthenware if possible, and saute the garlic gently without letting it brown. Take the pan off the head and add the anchovies. Stir well with a wooden spoon. Return the pan to a low heat and continue cooking, stirring, until the anchovies have dissolved into a paste. Season with a pinch of salt, and add the truffle. Serve hot.