Zabaglione Sarah Venezia (Zabaglione with Fresh Fruit)
Zabaglione, a sweet egg custard cooked on the range top, is an Italian classic, usually served very simply in a glass with a spoon. Here Chef Antonucci raises the bar by molding and browning the ice cream-topped zabaglione -- in the broiler. Although the ice cream doesn't have to remain perfectly frozen, it shouldn't wind up as a puddle, either. So here's a tip. At least 8 hours before beginning the dessert, scoop out eight scoops of vanilla ice cream, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and pop them into the freezer to harden. If you don't have a star mold, any large cookie cutter mold will do. Use your imagination.
Ingredients
- Bing cherries in heavy syrup - 1 No. 2 (about 15-ounce) can
- Kirschwasser (cherry eau de vie) - 1 tablespoon
- Egg Yolks - 10
- Sugar - 6 tablespoons
- Sweet Marsala wine - 1/3 cup
- Ripe strawberries - 30, hulled
- Vanilla Ice Cream - 8 scoops
- Mint sprigs - 8, garnish
Instructions
Place Bing cherries in their syrup in a small non-reactive bowl. Add cherry eau de vie, stir to mix. Cover and set aside.
In a large bowl combine yolks, sugar and Marsala, whisking to mix. Set bowl over a pan of simmering, not boiling, water and cook, whisking constantly, until custard thickens and holds an indentation made with a spoon for two minutes. Be sure water does not boil, or egg yolks will be curdled. Remove bowl from water.
To serve: Place star or ring mold on 6 dessert plates. Spoon in zabaglione to cover the bottom of the mold. Let sit, refrigerated, for 15 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and place one scoop of ice cream in the middle. Remove mold and place plate under the broiler until zabaglione is lightly browned, less than 1 minute. Remove from oven and quickly garnish around zabaglione with 5 ripe strawberries and 5 Bing cherries, drained. Drizzle a little of the Bing cherry syrup around, garnish with a mint sprig and serve immediately.
