Zabaglione Recipe
Zabaglione is a classic Italian dessert. It’s a sort of eggy, alcoholic custard that is whipped so that it is very light and frothy. It is said to have originated in Piedmont, the mountainous region in the north of Italy which border France and Switzerland. The best known city in Piedmont is Turin.
Although zabaglione might be Piemontese, the Marsala wine used in the classic recipe comes from Sicily. It is Sicily’s most famous wine, a deliciously sweet dark wine that tastes of raisins.
It is easiest to make the zabaglione in a double-boiler. However, if you don’t have one, improvise with a heatproof bowl.
Ingredients – Serves 4
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 – 2 1/2 oz of caster sugar
- 4 fl oz of dry Marsala wine
- Savoiardi bisuits (Italian sponge fingers) or langue du chats
Method
- Put the sugar, the egg yolks and the Marsala wine into the upper part of the double-boiler (or into the heatproof bowl).
- Bring water to a simmer in the bottom part of the double boiler, or in a saucepan.
- Away from the heat, whisk the ingredients together with a whisk or electric mixer. Continue until they are a pale yellow and creamy consistency.
- Now, either put the upper part of the double-boiler onto the larger part, which contains the simmering water. Or place the heatproof bowl on the saucepan – ensure that the bottom doesn’t actually touch the water though – otherwise the eggs will scramble.
- Gradually pour in the Marsala, whisking all the time and in the same direction. The mixture will go foamy and then start to increase in volume, getting smooth and frothy.
- Make sure the bowl does not get too hot, or the eggs will scramble or the mixture will separate. You might need to take it off the heat every so often – though make sure that you keep whisking.
- The zabaglione will be ready in around 15-20 minutes – it should have trebled in volume and form soft mounds – like a light frothy ice cream.
- Serve immediately. Pour into wine glasses and eat with the Italian sponge fingers. You might like to decorate the zabaglione with some toasted hazelnuts or almonds.
You can make a variation of zabaglione using a full flavoured red wine instead of the Marsala. Follow the instructions as before, making sure that you add the wine slowly. It produces a rich dessert. This dessert can be eaten chilled (though do make sure it is properly cooked first, otherwise the ingredients might separate).
Recipe for Cassata
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