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.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　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

　　

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.

　　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.