Zabaglione
Egg yolk foam custard
Zabaglione is a simple Italian custard dessert made of egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine. It is usually served warm, though it can be served cold, or as a sauce, or even frozen. The egg yolks are foamed over a double boiler or, if you carefully control the heat, directly on the stove.
Typically one egg yolk serves one person.
Ingredients:
4 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons granulated white sugar
4-6 tablespoons Prosecco, Moscato d Asti, Marsala, or other liquor
2/3 cup heavy cream, whipped (optional)
Strawberries, raspberries, or other berries of choice (optional)
Preparation:
Place egg yolks, sugar and liquor in a large saucepan. Whisk together well until the mixture foams. Set the pan over low heat (or, if desired, over a double boiler), and continue whisking for about 10 minutes, until the mixture triples in volume, froths up and becomes pale. Whisking traps air in the yolks for a light, fluffy mixture. So that the pan does not get too hot, slide it off the burner occasionally when whisking. You want a gentle heat to thicken the mixture without curdling it.
When desired consistency is reached, remove from the heat. Slightly thickened, the custard can be used as a sauce. Longer cooking will thicken the custard further, giving it the texture of mousse. Continue whisking for a minute or two to prevent the custard from sticking to its container.
Serve the custard while still warm as it is, or, if you want to serve it cool, set it aside for about 15 minutes. If serving cool, you can whisk heavy cream until it forms soft peaks and add it to the cooled custard, using a whisk to gently fold them together. Reserve some of the whipped cream to serve on top.
Ladle the zabaglione into individual dishes and serve with whipped cream, berries, toasted almonds, and/or cookies such as zaleti or biscotti. Alternatively, spoon over berries.