This simple starter always brings me back to Provence, where I trained as a young chef. There, we served this sea-salty dip with scallions and red bell peppers, but now fennel is my favorite. This dip is so good, it works with any combination of vegetables; pick from my suggestions below. And if you think you don’t like anchovies, you have to try this. The milk mellows the intensity of the fish and the garlic and makes the dip incredibly creamy.
Ingredients
serves 8 to 12
ANCHOVY DIP
CRUDITÉS
Step 1
Put the garlic in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then drain. Repeat once, then put in a bowl of cold water. When cool, drain again.
Step 2
Puree the garlic in a blender with the anchovies, milk, vinegar, and salt until smooth. With the machine running, add the oil in a steady stream. Continue blending until smooth and creamy.
Step 3
Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with crudités.
c’est bon
Step 4
When serving raw bell peppers, I like to use a vegetable peeler to remove the paper-thin skin. You can get rid of their slight bitterness that way.
