Zabaione with hazelnuts and figs

Name: Zabaione with hazelnuts and figs
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italian recipes
Ingredients: 4 egg yolks; 2 tbsp caster sugar; 60ml sweet marsala wine; To serve; 4 figs; Hazelnuts; Runny honey

Portion size: Serves 4
Hands-on time 20 min
Difficulty: easy

Dairy-free

Gluten-free

Vegetarian

Emily Gussin

Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

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Eggs, sugar and sweet wine are transformed into the silky cloud of loveliness known as the Italian dessert zabaione. Here we’ve paired the zabaione with fresh figs and hazelnuts to crank up the Piedmontese flavours.

Discover everything that makes Piedmont’s food culture so special in our full food lover’s guide to the region.

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Ingredients

4 egg yolks
2 tbsp caster sugar
60ml sweet marsala wine

To serve

4 figs
Hazelnuts
Runny honey

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Method

Put a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (don’t let the base touch the water). Add the egg yolks, 2 tbsp sugar and 30ml sweet marsala wine, then whisk with an electric mixer for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Keep whisking while gradually adding another 30ml sweet marsala wine, then carry on whisking for 5 minutes or until the mixture is foamy and holds its shape.
Take off the heat, whisk for 2 minutes more, then serve immediately with 1 fig (halved) per serving, a sprinkling of hazelnuts (toasted in a dry pan, then chopped) and a drizzle of honey.

Nutrition

290kcals Calories
19g (2.6g saturated) Fat
6.5g Protein
19g (18g sugars) Carbs
2.1g Fibre
trace Salt

Quick wins & tips

Don’t try to use a hand whisk to make zabaione – it needs a lot of powerful aeration to get the foamy texture.

Heatproof glass is better than most metals as it conducts heat more gently.

Cook smarter

It’s generally agreed that the most likely birthplace of zabaione is Turin, the capital of Piedmont. It can be made with all sorts of sweet wines, including Piedmont’s semi-sparkling moscato d’asti – although marsala is most common these days.