Sabayon is a versatile method of making elegant custard sauces, savory or sweet, and is easy if you don't mind whisking constantly for a (very) few minutes.
It involves separating eggs, only the yolks are used. I use the pour-back-and-forth-between-halfshells method for small amounts, for recipes this big I pour the whole egg into my hand and let the white slip through my fingers. Separate one white at a time into a small bowl before adding it to a storage container with the rest; if a little yolk slips in you can deal with it without getting a fatal fleck of fatty yolk into the future meringue. (Any speck of fat, induding egg yolk, will prevent whites from whipping up properly foamy. Yes, even if you think you've removed every atom of it. Don't store it with the res, put the whole yolk in and make ascramble eggs (Toad in the hole makes a nice snack! Or French toast, yum...) In fact, it's a good idea to wipe your bowl, tools, etc. with vinegar to remove even fingerprints before beginning to whip whites.)
You can freeze egg whites in any airtight container, they make great omelets, meringue cookies or pie toppings, egg drop soup, enrichments for bread, pancakes, binders for breading fried foods or gluing onions or seeds on baked goods.... To freeze yolks without becoming gummy, you must add a good bit of sugar, so plan a sweet sabayon soon.
You also need a double boiler. If you do not have a fancy special-made one, find a bowl slightly too wide to fit into a small saucepan. It should not fall in, nor touch the half-inch or so of water in the pan. In use, make sure the heat is low enough so no scalding steam escapes from the top.
The name sabayon, and the technique, come from this simple but rich and elegant Italian dessert (base for Tiramisu).
Zabaglione
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons Marsala wine
Directions
1. In top of a double boiler over simmering water, mix together egg yolks and sugar until smooth. Stir in Marsala wine. Continue to cook and stir constantly until mixture thickens and bubbles start to form. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
This lends itself to endless variations. Here are some ideas. All use the same technique; only the ingredients differ. You can use any kind of wine, or a non-alcoholic liquid like stock or juice. Use your imagination!
Savory Lemon Sabayon (mock Hollandaise)
4 tablespoons white wine (Chablis, Chardonnay,...)
3 Tbs Lemon Juice
½ tsp salt
gewnerous pinch white or black pepper
pinch tarragon, cayenne (opt.)
5 egg yolks
Reduce salt to a pinch and add sugar to taste for a sweet dessert sauce.
Chicken Sabayon (Velouté)
6 Tbs rich chicken stock
5 egg yolks
1/4 tsp dried tarragon or thyme
Salt, pepper to taste
Strawberries with Sabayon
1 to 1 1/2 pounds fresh ripe strawberries (3 pints)
1 tablespoon sugar, plus more to taste
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
Wash, dry and hull strawberries (remove green tops and stems). Sprinkle with lemon juice and sugar
For the sabayon
6 egg yolks
1 cup sweet Marsala wine or port, sherry, Madeira or Champagne
1/3 cup sugar, plus more to taste
Drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)
Basic procedure as above.
For the whipped cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Do you need instructions to make whipped cream?
Sabayon will continue to cook for a while after you remove it from the heat, and will thicken as it cools to serving temperature. Thin with a few drops of your base liquid or water if needed.
Sabayon is great on any dish that needs tarting up. Boring vegetables like steamed peas or green beans become special when dressed up like this.