Sabayon
Yolks whisked with wine over heat until foaming
Zabaglione in Italian, and one of the few desserts that has to be made at the last minute and is worth it. Yolks, sugar and sweet wine whisked over gentle heat until they triple and hold a ribbon.
The whisking is continuous and the heat is low. Stop either and you have sweet scrambled eggs.
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup Marsala, Sauternes or Champagne
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- Set a wide heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water; the water must not touch the bowl.
- Whisk the yolks, sugar and salt together in the bowl until combined.
- Add the wine and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture moving over the whole surface of the bowl.
- It will foam, then thicken, then triple in volume, 6 to 8 minutes. It is ready when the whisk leaves a ribbon that holds for a moment and it reads about 160°F.
- Serve at once, warm, over berries or with biscotti.
Notes
- For a cold sabayon, whisk over an ice bath until cool, then fold in whipped cream. It will hold an hour or two.
- Savoury version: dry white wine instead of sweet, no sugar, spooned over fish and glazed under a grill.