A Sabayon is a great reminder that the simplest things can often be the most delicious (and sometimes the most unique too!).

A Southern-French classic, this egg-based frothy sauce is effortlessly whipped together, yet it makes for a unique and elegant dessert poured over fresh fruits. And with the arrival of Berry season, I wanted to revisit it using orange juice instead of alcohol (for a more affordable and approachable version).

A truly simple, early-summer pleasure.

Being a French Classic (and traditionally an alcohol-infused dessert),  I can see how a “Sabayon” can sound intimidating. But truth is, it will take you no longer than 10 minutes to make and there is really nothing difficult about it – you just need to whip (and when you think you’re done whipping, you whip some more).

Traditionally, a Sabayon is made with champagne (in France) or marsala wine (in Italy, where it’s called zabaglione). But for this alcohol-free version, I used orange juice. And even though orange juice doesn’t have the same fiziness as champagne, it still provides a tangy lightness that perfectly compliments the rich, underlying flavour here. 

And I was surprised to find the orange taste was actually very subtle, still allowing that soft creamy effect to be center stage.

There are two ways of serving a Sabayon. For the first, you simply spoon the Sabayon sauce on top of your fresh fruits and voila! For the second, you add a sprinkle of icing sugar on top and place the Sabayon with fruits under the broiler (or use a blow torch) to get a slight caramelization all around (in this version, some people like to call it a “fruit gratin”).

And although this makes for such a light and elegant dessert on its own, I can picture it being even better served on top of a slice of pound cake.

Well, I guess I’ll just have to make it again now….

My cooking notes:

• Be creative with the fruits! Fresh, seasonal berries (such as strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries) are perfect in a Sabayon. But there are so many fruits that are just as delicious in this dish, especially fleshy fruits: peaches and apricots (it creates a peaches and cream feel to it), banana and kiwi, mango and papaya, etc.
• The quality of the eggs goes a long way here; make sure they are fresh!
• When going under the broiler, the Sabayon cream will puff up slightly (and deflate when cooling down) so make sure to choose oven-proof vessels with higher edges (such as bowls, ramekins or glasses) and only fill them to 2/3s (or the Sabayon will overflow in the oven). Here, I have opted for 2 shallow plates (which made for 2 generous dessert portions), but this recipe works well with 4 individual ramekins/bowls too.
• Sabayon is a warm dessert, so you should make it just before serving

Berries with Orange Sabayon

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 ramekins Prep Time: 10 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

1 orange (ideally organic)
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp sugar (85g)
2 eggs (whole)
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup whipping cream (12cl) 
1/4 cup icing sugar (+ a little more for dusting)(25g)
500g berries

Instructions

For the Sabayon:

Wash, zest and juice the orange – set the juice and zest aside.

(With an electric beater or by hand) Whip the whipping cream and the icing sugar, until a firm peak forms.

In a separate bowl (heat-proof bowl), whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, orange juice and zest. Slowly add in the sugar, whisking continuously until the mixture starts to foam.

Place the bowl into a stove-top bain-marie (double boiler), and keep whisking until the mixture doubles (or even triples) in volume and reaches a creamy consistency (this takes 2 to 3 minutes). Make sure the consistency is creamy enough (it should coat the whisk) as this means the eggs are cooked properly.

Remove from the heat and keep whisking to bring the sabayon down to room temperature (this takes 3 to 4 additional minutes). Once at room temperature, gently fold in the whipped cream with a rubber spatula.

For serving:

Wash and dry the berries. Chop them if needed (ie. strawberries). Scatter them evenly on the bottom of your serving vessels and gently pour the sabayon on top.

Sprinkle with a light dusting of icing sugar, and place under the broiler for 30 seconds to 2 minutes (depending on the power of your broiler) until you get a light golden hue. If you have a torch blower, this will work great too.

Serve immediately.

If you try this Orange Sabayon recipe let me know! Leave a comment or share a photo using #pardonyourfrench on Instagram.

Bon Appétit!