I like to be bad and make this butter-heavy – it allows the dip to emulsify thickly, making it easier to scoop up with the crudités (what isn’t improved by an extra slab of butter, anyway?). Prepare the ingredients in advance, but leave the final mixing until the last minute, so you can eat it warm. Serve with interesting winter crudités – the more colourful, the better – such as romesco cauliflower, endives, radishes, kohlrabi, carrots and fennel, all peeled and sliced into slivers, and some bread for the very hungry (or drunk).

Serves 12

1 fat head of garlic, cloves peeled
Milk, to cover
400g anchovy fillets, drained
400g unsalted butter, cubed
150ml extra-virgin olive oil

Place the garlic in a small saucepan, cover with milk and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes until soft. Discard the milk.

Place the anchovies and cooked garlic in a bowl that will fit neatly into a pan (you will need to make it into a bain-marie later) and mash together. You can do this in advance.

When you are ready to eat, bring a pan of water up to the boil, place the bowl with the garlic and anchovy paste over it (make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water) and whisk in the butter and olive oil little by little, as if you were making mayonnaise. If it looks like it is splitting, remove from the heat and beat furiously – it should come back together – and no matter if it doesn’t, it will still taste fantastic.

Serve warm, with crudités for dipping.

How to Feed Your Friends with Relish by Joanna Weinberg (Bloomsbury £20)

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