Zabaione - Misplaced Pages

Italian dessert made with egg, sugar, and wine

Zabaione
A glass of zabaione
Alternative names	Zabaglione, zabajone, sambajon (in Piedmontese), sabayon (in French), zabaglione al caffè (coffee zabaglione)
Course	Dessert
Place of origin	Italy
Region or state	Piedmont
Main ingredients	Egg yolks, sugar, a sweet wine
Media: Zabaione

Zabaione (Italian: [dzabaˈjoːne]) or zabaglione (UK: /ˌzæbəlˈjoʊni/, US: /ˌzɑːb-/, Italian: [dzabaʎˈʎoːne]) is an Italian dessert, or sometimes a beverage, made with egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine (usually Moscato d'Asti or Marsala wine). Some versions of the recipe incorporate spirits such as cognac. The dessert version is a light custard, whipped to incorporate a large amount of air. Since the 1960s, in restaurants in areas of the US with large Italian populations, zabaione is usually served with strawberries, blueberries, peaches, etc., in a champagne coupe, and is often prepared tableside for dramatic effect.

In France, it is called sabayon. The dessert is popular in Argentina and Uruguay, where it is known as sambayón (from the Piedmontese sambajon) and is a popular ice cream flavour. In Colombia, the name is sabajón. In Venezuela, there is also a related egg-based dessert drink called ponche crema, which is consumed almost exclusively during Christmastime.

Espresso zabaglione incorporates the sugar and egg yolk mixture into a small cup to be filled with a shot of espresso coffee, which can be served frozen.

History

Although accounts vary, the Italian dessert dates as far back as the second half of the 15th century, a recipe for which appears in the manuscript collection at the Morgan Library Cuoco Napoletano. In Tuscany, it is said that zabaione has been well known since the 16th century, being very popular at the court of Catherine de' Medici. In Piedmont, it is said that the original name for the sweetmeat was Sambayon, given in honor of Saint Paschal Baylón. In Emilia-Romagna, however, it is claimed to have been named, in 1471, after the condottiere Giovanni Baglioni (Emilian: Zuan Bajòun) whose men, in foraging for his troops, could come up only with eggs, honey, white wine, and herbs.

Preparation

Classic zabaione uses raw egg yolks cooked in a bain-marie and most often served with Marsala wine (although other wines can be substituted). It can be finished with beaten egg white (meringue) or sometimes with whipped cream.

Occasionally, the wine is omitted when the dish is served to children or those who abstain from alcohol. It is then, in effect, a very different dessert. A simple version of zabaione is called uovo sbattuto and is mostly considered a breakfast item, especially when flavoured with espresso.

In French cuisine

The French adopted the recipe as part of their system of sauces in the 1800s as a dessert cream called sabayon. By the 20th century, the name sabayon was also used to describe savoury broths and yolk-based sauces.