Our favorite dessert of all time is Italian Zabaglione otherwise known as Zabaione. Essentially it is a simple egg custard made with classically Madeira or Marsala wine and once you get the hang of it fairly quickly and simple to make. But it does take practice. One of the keys is you absolutely have to use some kind of double boiler system, we usually just mix it in a bowl on top of another bowl of boiling water as theoretically you must prepare it at exactly 180 degrees Fahrenheit but who is counting. The main issue is if you don't prepare it correctly instead of having a nice smooth custard you end up with scrambled eggs. Give it a try and see what you come up with. Trust me once you have made it and had it nothing else compares to it. This particular recipe comes from Clark's sister Brenda who to us is a master chef. Breakfast at Brenda's is a gourmet experience. The recipe will serve 4 people so you can increase proportionally as needed. 2x the ingredients would serve 8 people.
Ingredients:
3 egg yolks and 1 whole egg
1/2 cup of sugar
4 or 5 tablespoons of Madeira wine or you may substitute any favorite alcohol. We like it made with Champagne sometimes as it is more light and fluffy. We have also used Bourbon, Cognac, Rum, Sherry etc.
1 teaspoon of orange or lemon zest fresh
1/2 cup heavy cream, stiffly whipped
Technique:
Mix the egg yolks and egg with the sugar, your liquor of choice in a large bowl until all ingredients are well mixed. Next place this bowl on top of a somewhat smaller bowl full of boiling water to heat the bottom of the bowl with the mixture in it and immediately start whisking the mixture. If you do it by hand you will get tired quickly. We now use a small electric mixer and continually whisk the mixture with it and it is less tiring. You must constantly whisk the mixture and occasionally whisk the top of the mixture to return that portion to the overall mixture. After a few minutes, you will notice the mixture starts to have bubbles and froth on the edges and will gradually increase to double the size of the original mixture and will thicken a bit. This usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Once you have doubled the size of the mixture or are close to it remove the top bowl and place it is an ice bath, we usually have a small sink with ice in it, and continue to whisk the mixture in the bowl on top of the ice bath until the mixture cools down to a cool temperature. It will continue to thicken a little more. At this point, you have finished Zabaione and can serve it as is over berries or by itself but we add an additional step.
Taking the finished Zababione fold into the stiffly whipped cream. This adds body and additional sweetness to the mixture as well as increasing the amount We prefer ours cold so we place the bowl into the refrigerator for chilling usually about 3 hours prior to serving. To serve prepare bowls or wine glasses with your favorite berries and then pour the Zababione over the berries covering them and serve.
Mixed and Preparing to Whisk
The correct consistency
Bon Appetite!
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