Do you Like Spicy Food? Then this recipe was made for you. Banana Cauda sauce is a traditional Italian Piedmont sauce and usually goes with all kinds of vegetables.
Few ingredients, only 4 – and none of them is pepper – the slightly spicy flavor is given by another ingredient, garlic, the preparation couldn’t be simpler.
What is The Origin of Banana Cauda?
“Banana Cauda” translates to spicy sauce in Piedmont. Its origin is uncertain, but tradition tells us that it dates back to the Middle Ages.
At that time, winegrowers wanted according to the grape harvest. They combined products of local origin, such as garlic – which in the Middle Ages was mandatory by law – and butter. With others from Liguria such as anchovies preserved in barrels or olive oil, which at the time was an exotic product.
From the union of all these slowly cooked ingredients, panga kauda emerged, a versatile dish that can be eaten with vegetables, pasta or bread.
Nutrients Provided by Fresh Anchovies or Anchovies (Main Recipe Ingredient)
The boqueron or anchovy is a blue fish, but it is not the fattest. Salmon, sardines and tuna have more fat. It belongs to the engraulides family. It has an elongated body and its dimensions vary from 10 to 18 cm.
Its color is blue-green or silver. Anchovies are an abundant species in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and also in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
It usually lives at a depth of more than 100 meters. In spring and summer, anchovies rise to the surface layers to feed and reproduce, and that’s when they’re at their highest fat levels.
During the winter, anchovies return to life at a depth of about 100 meters, however, fish imports from other countries, such as Morocco or Italy, allow you to enjoy fresh anchovies throughout the year.
- Calories 127 kcal
- Proteins (17 g)
- carbohydrates (1.5 grams)
- fat (6.3 g)
- Calcium (30 mg)
- Potassium (331 mg)
- Vitamin A (47 mcg/mcg)
- Vitamin E (0.02 mg)
- Vitamin B3 (8.3 mg)
- Vitamin B9 (8.7 mcg)
- Vitamin D (8 mcg)
- Magnesium (29 mg)
- iron (1mg)
- Phosphorus (182 mg)
- Sodium (56 mg)
- Zinc (0.1 mg)
- Selenium (69.5 mcg)
- cholesterol (34 mg)
How to Make Banana Cauda
Ingredients
- Fresh anchovies – 250 grams (half a kilo costs about 4.90 euros)
- garlic cloves – 4 pieces
- Extra virgin olive oil – 250ml
- Butter – 40g
Prepare
- How to cook this recipe, so it is not necessary to freeze anchovies for 48 hours for Anisakis. But remember that if you are using anchovies or boquerones and they are eaten “raw”, freeze them 48 hours in advance.
- Anisakis is a worm-shaped parasite commonly found in marine mammals: dolphins, seals or whales and in almost all species of fish.
- Crustaceans devour Anisakis eggs, and these crustaceans, in turn, are food for squid, squid, and other fish.
- If a human eats fresh fish with Anisakis (without taking precautions), the parasite settles in the digestive system and can cause vomiting and general discomfort. The best way to prevent infection is to freeze the fish for 48 hours if you are going to eat it raw.
- If you are going to steam, fry or bake it, it is not necessary to freeze it, just clean the fish well. With heat, anchovies die, but if they are eaten raw and cold (like anchovies in vinegar), it is necessary to freeze them for 48 hours.
- As I said at the beginning, this recipe needs to be cooked, so by cleaning the anchovies well, we don’t run the risk of getting anisakis.
- We clean the anchovies, I tell you step by step:
- Because it is a small fish, it is very easy to clean. First remove the head, then make a small cut towards the tail, insert your fingers and remove the guts, (use gloves if you prefer).
- Open the anchovies in the shape of a book, you can do this by inserting your fingers into the hole we made to remove the guts.
- Now it will be easier for us to remove the fork.
- We ran each boneless anchovy under the tap.
- Drain and place on a plate with kitchen paper underneath. Recipe lists.
- Cut the anchovies into small pieces and place in a pot or casserole suitable for cooking.
- Mince the garlic, but to a medium size and not too finely chopped. Add to anchovies.
- Drizzle the anchovies with extra virgin olive oil. Stir gently.
- Turn the heat on low and heat the anchovies and cook for 30 minutes.
- After the time, add the butter. Turn off the heat and leave for 5 minutes.
- Stir, the butter will melt and give the sauce a special flavor.
- Remove the clay pot from the heat and serve hot with vegetables.
