An indulgent Italian custard dessert enriched with sweet masala wine, sabayon is the ultimate ending to any meal. Here, Creative Director of Food for Rocco Forte Hotels, Fulvio Pierangelini shares his exclusive sabayon recipe, along with his treasured early memories of this delicious dessert.
“When I was a child, my ‘nonnina’ used to make this dish for me. I remember each of her movements, soft, delicate, affectionate, precise. The fresh eggs - sometimes still a bit dirty - were brought from the countryside by a lady who took care of chickens. She called them by name and the chickens would follow her, step by step, like something from a cartoon.
Then, my nonnina would wash each egg with care, place the sugar on the table and retrieve her small bottle of ‘cooked wine’ (made with the grapes from her vine) from the cupboard. A small aluminium saucepan filled halfway with water would be boiling on the wood-burning stove, ready to begin our sabayon.”
SABAYON
Ingredients (Serves 4)
8 fresh egg yolks
80g of white sugar
8cl of Marsala wine
Method
1) Place 4 large wine glasses in the freezer to chill.
2) Pour 2 inches of water into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
3) Place the egg yolks into a large stainless steel bowl then gradually add the sugar and whisk for about 2 minutes until pale and slightly thickened.
4) Add the wine to the mix then set the bowl over the simmering water.
5) Reduce the heat and whisk constantly over a moderate heat for about 8 minutes, until the sabayon is thick and has doubled in volume.
6) Once thickened, immediately set the bowl in the ice water bath and allow to cool for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7) Spoon the cold sabayon into the chilled wine glasses and serve.
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