Champagne Zabaglione

Summer is upon us and my thoughts have turned to berries, and cherries, and luscious stone fruits. I love to combine the sweetest fruit of the season with a simple yet elegant sauce such as Italian zabaglione (or sabayon, as it is known in France).

It’s traditionally made with Marsala wine, but I like using Champagne or Moscato d’Asti in its place for a lighter flavored sauce.

Having had such great luck making lemon curd, béarnaise sauce, and crème anglaise in my water oven, I was pretty confident that the technique would also work for zabaglione.

Only one way to find out… So I threw the three (yup, just 3) ingredients in a zip-lock bag, squeezed out the air, and popped it into my SousVide Supreme. Fifteen minutes later I had a perfect zabaglione without any effort whatsoever.

Another triumph of the sous vide technique, but sadly my kitchen was bereft of fruit or berries that day. And although the zabaglione tasted delicious by the spoonful, it seemed a tad too indulgent for someone always fighting the battle of the bulge.

Instead, I quick chilled the sauce for another day. Although zabaglione is traditionally served warm — and I think tastes best at that temperature — I didn’t feel like reheating my sauce the next day.

So I folded some whipped cream into the chilled zabaglione. Then I alternated layers of raspberries and zabaglione in a pretty goblet and voilà: an oh-so-easy adult dessert with just a subtle hint of boozy flavor. Two sauces in one, and yummy either way.

Serves 4 (makes 1 cup of zabaglione)

1. Preheat the water bath to 165°F (74°C).
2. Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in the sugar. Whisk until the mixture is thick, then add the Champagne. Lightly whisk until the sugar dissolves. Transfer the custard to a zip-lock bag and seal using the water displacement method.
3. Cook the zabaglione for exactly 20 minutes.
4. If using the sauce immediately, spoon the warm zabaglione over fresh fruit and serve.
5. To refrigerate for later use, first immerse the bag in a bowl of ice and water immediately after removing it from the water oven. Add more ice if necessary to quickly chill the sauce. Once cold, the zabaglione can be refrigerated overnight.
6. Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold the cream into the cold zabaglione. Place a dollop of zabaglione in the bottom of a goblet or glass. Top with a few berries, then repeat, ending with a perfect berry in the center. The dessert can be refrigerated for up to 6 hours before serving.