On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 227

rootmeaning“mixed,”“confused”—wasan
Italianyolk-thickenedspicedwineinthe15th
century,andby1800wassometimesfoamy
andsometimesnot.(Evensomemodern
zabaglionerecipesarenotwhippedbut
stirred,andcomeoutmorelikeawineycrème
anglaise.)TheFrenchdiscoveredzabaglione
around1800,andby1850hadincorporatedit
intotheirsystemofsaucesasadessertcream
withthemorerefined-soundingname
sabayon.Inthe20thcenturytheyextendedthe
principletosavorycookingbrothsandstocks,
andtolightenclassicalyolk-basedbutterand
oilsauces,includinghollandaiseand
mayonnaise.(Forthesauces,seep.639.)
Zabaglione Technique The standard method
for making zabaglione is to mix equal
volumes of sugar and yolks, add the wine —
usuallyMarsala,andanywherefromthesame
to four times the volume of yolks — set the
bowl above a pan of simmering water, and


whip for several minutes until the mix
becomesfoamyandthick.Duringthemixing
and initial foaming, the elaborately nested
spheres of yolk proteins are unpacked for
action. Dilution, the wine’s acidity and
alcohol, and air bubbles all disrupt the yolk
granulesandlipoproteincomplexesintotheir
componentmoleculessothatthosemolecules

can coat the air bubbles and stabilize them.
When the temperature reaches 120ºF/50ºC,
high enough to unfold some of the yolk
proteins, the mix thickens, traps air more
efficiently, and begins to expand. As the
proteins continue to unfold and then bond to
eachother,thefoamrisesintofluffymounds.
Thekeytoamaximallylightzabaglioneisto
stoptheheatingjustwhenthefoamteeterson
the cusp between liquid and solid. Further
cooking will produce a stiffer, denser,
eventuallytoughspongeastheproteinsovercoagulate.
Zabaglioneistraditionallymadeina