Wine is so complex on its own that people study their whole lives to master the art of the sommelier. So instead of trying to explain to you all the subtle nuances and hundreds of ways to cook with wine, let’s focus on one really good one! A long time ago, back when I was a student/apprentice working in Ontario, I spent some time working in an Italian restaurant. One of my first nights on the line, a regular customer came in and requested a dessert that wasn’t on the menu, a frequent occurrence. The waiter entered the kitchen through the swinging double doors and announced, “Does anyone know how to make a sabayon?” The sous chef, whom shall remain nameless, proudly announced “I do!” with a smug look on his round face and set about it.
The French, Sabayon (Italian, Zabaglione) is a very light, cooked custard made by whisking a sweet wine, honey or sugar and eggs over a double boiler. It can be served warm immediately after cooking or you can continue whisking over an ice bath, cooling it completely before folding in whipped cream or egg whites, and serve it cold. A sabayon is most often served on its own, but I think it is a perfect pairing with fruits. If you are ever throwing a dinner party and are in a pinch for a quick, flavourful and elegant dessert or you just want to treat yourself, I would definitely give this recipe a try!
Here’s a little trick of the professional trade for you, for added impact use a contrast in temperatures to heighten flavours and textures. If you are serving a warm sabayon straight off the stove, try serving it with cold fruits right out of the fridge. The difference in temperatures will highlight the sweetness of the fruits and your sabayon. It will also accentuate the light and airy texture of the sabayon, from all your hard whisking. The same goes for serving warm sautéed fruits with a cold airy mousse like sabayon. Play with it and have a little fun with your taste buds! Just be careful to keep whisking, have a gentle simmer in the pot underneath, and never walk away from your sabayon, or you’ll end up with really sweet scrambled eggs like the smug sous chef did that night!
Happy Cooking!
Chef Ryan Skelton
Muscat Sabayon with Peaches and Raspberries
Serves 4
2 ripe peaches, washed, dried and thinly sliced
1 cup (250 mL) raspberries, washed and dried
1 cup (250 mL) Muscat wine
6 egg yolks
2 tbsp (30 mL) Compliments Liquid Honey
1 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract or the seeds from 1/3 of a fresh vanilla bean
¼ tsp (1 mL) cinnamon
1 tiny pinch sea salt
- Bring a small amount of water to a gentle simmer in a sauce pot over medium heat.
- Divide the sliced peach and raspberries evenly between 4 wine/martini glasses or dessert dishes.
- In a stainless steel bowl, whisk together: the wine, egg yolks, honey, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt.
- Set the bowl on top of the barely simmering sauce pot; make sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the water. Whisk the custard continuously over the heat until it has thickened, is frothy and has doubled in volume, it could take anywhere from 4-8 minutes.
- Spoon the warm sabayon over the cool fruits, garnish with fresh mint and serve.
