Skip to main content

Sabayon with Seasonal Berries

Sabayon is the French name for zabaglione, a light foamy Italian dessert. It is served warm in glasses or coupes or spooned over a dessert, fruit, or pastry as a topping. Traditionally, it is made with Marsala or port, but it may be prepared using other wines and liqueurs. Use the freshest berries in season. Try all the same berry, or mix them up for a colorful treat.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 pints fresh ripe strawberries, washed, hulled, and quartered, and/ or blueberries or blackberries
6 tablespoons sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Pinch of fine sea salt
6 egg yolks
1 cup sweet Marsala or port

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place the berries in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the lemon juice, and salt. Stir to combine. Set aside.

    Step 2

    In a large, stainless steel bowl, whisk to blend the egg yolks, the Marsala, and the remaining 5 tablespoons of sugar. Rest the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water to create a double boiler (a standard double boiler is too small). Using a whisk or a handheld mixer (trust me, you’ll prefer the latter, if you have one), whisk constantly until it has the consistency of lightly whipped cream and is thick, foamy, and tripled in volume, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

    Step 3

    Divide the berries among serving bowls or glasses and top with a spoonful of sabayon. Serve immediately.

Cover of Bon Appetit, Yall by Virginia Willis featuring a serving of corn souffle.
From Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories From Three Generations of Southern Cooking, © 2008 by Virginia Willis. Reprinted by permission of Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Abe Books.
Read More
A crowd-friendly, crisp-edged chicken and vegetable rice from chef José Andrés.
Like hot honey chicken with peaches and a dirty martini spritz.
With dramatic choux layers and fruit-rippled cream, it’s the drag queen of Polish desserts.
Rotisserie chicken makes quick work of these no-cook rolls with a spicy peanut sauce.
Like carrot farro salad and chicken paella.
Tender, buttery breakfast pastries with crisp caramelized edges, a fragrant cinnamon-orange filling, and a crackly sugar topping.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.