Post-unification Italy · Italy
Zabaglione (Artusi Style)
From La Scienza in Cucina · Pellegrino Artusi · 1891
Verified from original source
A frothy warm custard whisked with sweet Marsala — 5 minutes, three ingredients, pure decadence.
History
Zabaglione (or zabaione) is a classic Italian dessert custard made from egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine, whisked over gentle heat until thick and foamy. While versions existed earlier in Piedmont and possibly Sicily, Pellegrino Artusi's 1891 La Scienza in Cucina e l'Arte di Mangiar Bene codified the recipe for a national Italian audience during the post-unification era. Artusi presented it as a refined dessert for the emerging Italian middle class. Originally served warm as a restorative or dessert, zabaglione influenced French sabayon and remains popular today, served warm or chilled, often with fresh berries or as a sauce for cakes.
Sources
- Pellegrino Artusi, La Scienza in Cucina e l'Arte di Mangiar Bene, 1891
- Gillian Riley, The Oxford Companion to Italian Food, 2007
- Alberto Capatti and Massimo Montanari, Italian Cuisine: A Cultural History, 2003
- Carol Field, The Italian Baker, 1985
- Alan Davidson, The Oxford Companion to Food, 1999
Serves
6
Prep
5m
Cook
10m
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients
- · 6 large egg yolks
- · 6 tbsp caster sugar
- · 150ml sweet Marsala wine
- · Fresh berries to serve
Method
- 1
Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely-simmering water (don't let it touch).
- 2
Whisk yolks and sugar until pale and ribbony.
- 3
Trickle in Marsala while whisking constantly.
- 4
Keep whisking vigorously 6–8 minutes until thick, pale and mousse-like — it should hold a soft peak.
- 5
Spoon warm into glasses with berries. Serve immediately.
