Zabaione (sweet wine sabayon)
A warm, airy foam of egg yolks whipped with sugar and sweet wine, cooked over a bain-marie until tripled in volume. Creamy, fragrant, comforting — to be drunk almost as much as eaten.
A warm, airy foam of egg yolks whipped with sugar and sweet wine, cooked over a bain-marie until tripled in volume. Creamy, fragrant, comforting — to be drunk almost as much as eaten.
When my nerves betrayed me — and God knows they betrayed me, I who felt everything too keenly — Italy offered this remedy better than any doctor's. Egg yolks, sugar, a finger of sweet wine, and you whisk over heat until the thing rises like a cloud. Warm, frothy, it sets your soul straight. Take a cup of it upon rising: you will write better, I guarantee it.
- •Fresh egg yolks — one per person (frothy base)
- •Sugar — one spoonful per yolk (sweetness)
- •Sweet wine (marsala or muscat) — half an eggshell per yolk (flavor)
Zabaione (sweet wine sabayon)
A warm, airy foam of egg yolks whipped with sugar and sweet wine, cooked over a bain-marie until tripled in volume. Creamy, fragrant, comforting — to be drunk almost as much as eaten.
Why this dish? Italian at heart, Stendhal knew this sabayon that the peninsula served both as a sweet treat and as a tonic for convalescents and tired people. For a man who wrote at night and complained of his nerves, this frothy, warm cordial was the quintessential Italian comfort.
When my nerves betrayed me — and God knows they betrayed me, I who felt everything too keenly — Italy offered this remedy better than any doctor's. Egg yolks, sugar, a finger of sweet wine, and you whisk over heat until the thing rises like a cloud. Warm, frothy, it sets your soul straight. Take a cup of it upon rising: you will write better, I guarantee it.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fresh egg yolks — one per person (frothy base)
- Sugar — one spoonful per yolk (sweetness)
- Sweet wine (marsala or muscat) — half an eggshell per yolk (flavor)
Ingredients
- Egg yolks — 4 (frothy base)
- Sugar — 60 g (sweetness)
- Sweet Marsala (or muscat / straw wine) — 60 ml (flavor)
- Lemon zest (optional) — a little (freshness)
Method
- In a bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar until the mixture whitens.
- Add the Marsala (and zest).
- Place the bowl over a simmering bain-marie, without the water touching the bottom.
- Whisk continuously for 8 to 10 minutes: the cream swells, triples in volume, and coats the spoon. Never let it boil, or the egg will coagulate.
- Pour into cups and serve immediately, warm, alone or with a few dry biscuits.
How it was made : Zabaione is attested in Italy since the Renaissance; in the 19th century it was commonly served as a dessert but also as a strengthening cordial for the sick and women in childbirth. It was whipped over embers in a copper pot, by the strength of the arm — a labor of patience rewarded by the foam.
The contemporary twist : Served warm over strawberries or poured over vanilla ice cream for a hot-cold contrast — "Beyle's remedy".
Stendhal · Charactorium