Classic Zabaglione With Figs And Amaretti Recipe

Italian cuisine has proven to be a very successful export indeed. Pizzas and pastas are ubiquitous around the world, and it's not hard to see why. To follow on from these well-loved main dishes, there are some famous Italian desserts such as tiramisu and, of course, the king of ice creams; gelato. But have you heard of zabaglione?

Perhaps a less well-known dish, Zabaglione is Italy's take on the custard-based dessert. France has its crême brulée, Spain has its crema catalan, and Italy has zabaglione. It is similar to the crema catalana, except it contains a kick of strong alcohol in the form of Marsala wine. Brief pronunciation note: The "gli" combination of letters denotes a "lyee" sound in Italian, so for that authentic pronunciation, say it: "za-ba-lyee-OH-nay."

With its gentle sweetness and light, creamy texture, followed by the boozy aftertaste of dry Marsala wine, Zabaglione is the perfect dish to round off an Italian meal. This version, devised by Tasting Table recipe developer Jennine Rye, is served with fresh figs, a pinch of earthy nutmeg, and an amaretti biscuit or two to dip in the rich custard. The dramatic reddish-purple of the fig looks visually striking set against the pale creamy tone of the custard, and the robust fruity texture provides a lovely contrast to the velvety smoothness of the custard, making for a truly winning combination. Buon appetito!

Whisk the sugar and the egg yolks together in a large heatproof bowl using a balloon whisk or handheld electric whisk until they have thickened.

Continue to whisk the egg and sugar mixture over the Bain Marie for 3 to 4 minutes, before slowly pouring in the Marsala wine.

Remove the bowl containing the zabaglione from the heat and set to one side. Meanwhile, slice the fresh figs.

Marsala wine is the usual alcohol in a zabaglione, but if you want to swap it out for a different alcohol of choice, you can. For instance, if you've prepared a chicken Marsala for your main, it could well be overkill to have it as one of the main features of your dessert too. An alternative Italian dessert wine, such as a sweet Torcolato or a complex Vin Santo would make for good choices if you want to lean into the sweetness of the dish. Alternatively, if you want an even stronger alcoholic kick with your dessert, you could use a spirit, like a rum or a brandy.

There are no hard and fast rules, so it really all comes down to your own personal preference. Be aware, however, that because the custard only brings a delicate flavor to the dish, whichever alcohol you use will be the dominant flavor, so be sure to pick something you know you like!

Zabaglione is delicious served either hot or cold, so your first step is to decide which of these you want to go for. If you choose to serve it hot, it is best to serve the zabaglione straight away once it is made. It is possible to let it cool to room temperature before storing it in the fridge to be reheated at a later stage, but the custard will lose its freshness in the reheating process, and if it is reheated too quickly, it could become lumpy. Luckily, it doesn't take too long to cook, so if you have guests it is easy enough to whip up between dinner and dessert. 

If you are looking to serve the zabaglione cold, it can easily be prepared in advance. Remember to let it cool down to room temperature before putting it in the fridge so the temperature change occurs more gradually. This is also more energy efficient as your fridge won't have to work as hard to refrigerate something at room temperature. Stored in an air-tight container in the fridge, your zabaglione will keep at its best for 24 hours.