CHAMPAGNE SABAYON
A beautiful dessert in minutes.
This silky dessert can be made in 10 minutes and served warm right off the stove with berries or your favourite fruit. For my technique, I served the sabayon in egg dishes and used a chef’s torch to scorch the surface decoratively crème brûlée style.
INGREDIENTS
3 egg yolks
75 g (2.7 oz) white sugar
125 m (4 fl oz)l champagne (or sparkling wine)
Small piece of lemon rind for a touch of flavour
400 g (14 oz) mixed berries (I use raspberries and blueberries)
Note
To serve, shallow egg dishes are great if you want to broil the tops of the dessert. Or use a cocktail glass for some class. If you can get your hands on one, a chef’s torch is great to create that crème brûlée look.
Method
Use a balloon whisk to beat the egg yolks with the sugar in a large bowl for about a minute, then add the champagne and lemon rind and continue to whisk for a further 2 minutes to start the emulsion.
Now sit the bowl with the mixture over a medium-sized saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler). The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl.
Over medium-low heat, whisk constantly while the mixture becomes foamy and triples in volume. This should take up to 10 minutes. When done, the sabayon will have a glossy, creamy texture and the streaks around the side of the bowl will start to dry. Remove from the heat and place the bowl immediately in a tray of ice to stop the sabayon from cooking further.
To serve, layer a dish or cocktail glass with berries and ladle the sabayon over the top. Place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or scorch the surface with a chef’s torch.
TIPS
For the best results, use a champagne that sits on the sweeter side, not too dry.
The key to a light, fluffy sabayon is a large bowl (I used my copper bowl, but glass works well too) and a large balloon whisk. You need plenty of surface area in the bowl to whisk air into the sauce to create that beautiful airy, foamy texture.
If you don’t have a large bowl using an electric hand mixer is the way to go and will also save you time.
The sabayon can also be served cold. To try it out, place a plastic film in direct contact with the surface of the sabayon (to avoid a crust forming) then refrigerate until completely cold. When ready to serve, take it out of the fridge and give the sabayon a good whisk to restore the foaminess. Finish by folding in 2-3 tablespoons of whipped cream then serve immediately with or without fruits.