Anchovy is a small oily fish which, in this recipe, is enriched with a fragrant sauce (bagnet) based on parsley and garlic. Anchovies have been taken on the journey from sea to the Piemonte tables since ancient times, a practice closely linked to the trade in salt on which customs duties had to be paid.
To circumvent border controls, the salt was hidden in barrels under thick layers of the cheaper anchovies, and then sold along the way.