Zabaione

I went to Rome a week ago an while it was my first time in Italy, it certainly wasn't the first time I had come in contact with it. While everyone knows that pizza and many different kinds of pasta are Italian cuisine, the Italian desserts are somewhat overlooked. I guess that anyone is able to name the ice-cream "gelato" (which actually means ice-cream but is much different from what can be bought in a store) and tiramisu but other than that? 

I've come across a recipe for Zabaione, or alternatively spelled Zabaglione, in a search for more Italian dessert recipes after I made Cantuccini about 2 years ago. I've made Zabaione couple times now because it is simple yet challenging, incredibly rewarding and infinitely customizable. See, it's only egg yolks, sugar and wine. And a lot of whisking. A LOT! It is usually served with fruit like strawberries and blueberries but you can also use soft sweet bread like panettone or a soft sponge cake. Yum.

The original original recipe calls for Moscato d'Asti wine (a sparkling white wine, I wonder if Champagne would go well instead) which I didn't have. I'm the last person to say anything about wine but since the recipe called for white wine and there was a bottle of Chardonnay unopened in the corner, I went for it. Personally, I think a sweeter wine would do a better job but my guests and I were very satisfied with its acidity which added a nice touch to the eggy, sweet and soft taste of Zabaione. One recipe I checked even suggested adding a teaspoon or two of fresh lemon juice when using a sweeter wine so the acidic taste is clearly desired.

One last thing about the equipment: you'll need a whisk, a pot and a bowl. You are advised to use a round glass (or even better, copper, but who has that?) bowl because it conducts heat well and prevents the egg from cooking in parts. I had to use a flat bottomed bowl and it DID get cooked a bit on the sides but there was still a lot of perfect Zabaione inside. Also make sure that you don't submerge the bowl into the water. It's supposed to be "like bagno maria" (double boiler) BUT there should be at least 2 cm space between the bottom of the bowl and the level of water in the pot. If you submerge the bowl in the water, you might end up with an omelette :D

Zabaione

for enough zabaione for 4 people you will need:

• 4 egg yolks
• 50 ml white wine of your choice
• 50g white sugar
• a pinch of salt to bring out the flavour

1. Bring the water in the pot to a simmer. 
2. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and add sugar bit by bit, whisking quickly as not to burn the yolks. Add the salt, the wine and lemon juice if necessary. Whisk until the mixture gets all foamy and transfer over the pot.
3. Keep whisking, try to get as much air in as you can with upward motion (no need to stir it). After some time (about 5 minutes), the mixture will start getting thicker. If not, check if the water underneath is simmering. Remember, boiling water will cook it! Don't stop whisking.
4. As you keep whisking, the whisk will leave traces in the thick mixture.  Take it out of the bowl and let few drops fall back down. Count how long it takes before the fallen shape flattens. When it takes 8 seconds, you are done. (I've taken this trick from the awesome Gina De Palma)
5. Take the bowl off the heat and keep whisking. Wait for the temperature to go down a bit and Zabaione will thicken a bit more. Now you can serve it warm or at room temperature. If you wish, you can do it like me and take the sponge cake, slice it into couple even slices which you then cut  diagonally or any other way - be creative. Warm them up in the microwave for couple seconds and then cover in the delicious yellowish Zabaione and serve immediately to everyone's delight.