Ingredients for 4 people:
4 eggs, 4 tablespoons sugar, dry Marsala
Preparation:
Separate the eggs and put the egg yolks preferably into a copper pan (not tin-lined). Add the sugar and beat for some time with a whisk until light and soft. Slowly add 4 “half egg shells” (4 tablespoons) of dry Marsala, stirring all the time. Put the pan in a larger pan containing boiling water and place them over the heat. Cook while mixing continually with a small whisk. When the “zabajone” begins to thicken, remove from the heat and pour straight into a large bowl or 4 small bowls. Serve with dry biscuits, like sponge fingers or “Krumiri” biscuits from Casale Monferrato.
Origins and curiosities
The origins of this cream are associated with several different legends, but one in particular concerns Pasquale De Baylon, a Franciscan monk who in the 16th century in Torino invented it as a tonic treatment for the sick. When he was made a saint, the recipe became known as “crema di San Baylon” and then Sambayon.