How to succeed in making sabayon (syllabub)
A sabayon is a delicious and delicate preparation based on egg yolks and sugar, with a liquid added (wine, alcohol, fruit juice, etc), which is then whipped in a bain-marie until it is both light and smooth.
Usually sabayon is sweet (syllabub), but you can make it savoury, in which case there is only egg yolk, salt, and the chosen liquid, which could be stock, reduced wine, roasting juices, etc...
This recipe is for a sweet sabayon, using just two egg yolks. You will need to adapt quantities according to your needs, or your recipe.
Usually sabayon is sweet (syllabub), but you can make it savoury, in which case there is only egg yolk, salt, and the chosen liquid, which could be stock, reduced wine, roasting juices, etc...
This recipe is for a sweet sabayon, using just two egg yolks. You will need to adapt quantities according to your needs, or your recipe.
20 min.
Average
345 g
4 IngredientsLast modified on: November 12th 2017
For 345 g, you will need:
- 1
6 egg yolks - 2
90 g caster sugar - 3
18 tablespoons sweet white wine - 4
3 pinches flour - Total weight: 480 grams
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 8 min.
Cooking: 10 min.
All in all: 20 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 5 min.
Put in a container that can go over a bain-marie, 6 egg yolks and 90 g caster sugar.
Without delay, beat until mixture whitens.
Without delay, beat until mixture whitens.
Stage 2
This whitening of the mixture happens because by beating, you incorporate thousands of tiny air bubbles into it.
Stage 3 - 3 min.
Add 18 tablespoons sweet white wine to mixture (or sweet wine, fruit juice, coffee, etc.) and 3 pinches flour, mix thoroughly.
Please note, this pinch of flour is vital to the success of the sabayon. While over the bain-marie, this will facilitate the blending of the mixture: an essential knack to make your sabayon work every time (or almost), so you do not finish up with an omelette...
This is the first "secret" of success.
Please note, this pinch of flour is vital to the success of the sabayon. While over the bain-marie, this will facilitate the blending of the mixture: an essential knack to make your sabayon work every time (or almost), so you do not finish up with an omelette...
This is the first "secret" of success.
Stage 4 - 10 min.
Put mixture in the bain-marie, and begin beating.
The bain-marie is the second "secret" of success, you need the temperature of the mixture to rise gradually.
You need to beat constantly until obtaining the shiny and smooth mixture desired.
The bain-marie is the second "secret" of success, you need the temperature of the mixture to rise gradually.
You need to beat constantly until obtaining the shiny and smooth mixture desired.
Stage 5
You can use an electric whisk, in which case do not beat too fast, but nothing is better than a simple hand whisk, you will keep operations under control.
Stage 6
After few minutes, the mixture will begin to foam and thicken.
Stage 7
Stop when you like, it is necessary to arrive at a good compromise: quite shiny and very smooth... It's an absolute delight!
Remarks
The two important points for making a good sabayon are: a pinch of flour (for easier blending) and a bain-marie (gradual rise in temperature).
Syllabub is often poured over a dessert, but you can also serve it plain in a small cup (warmed beforehand) instead of coffee or tea.
Syllabub is best served warm, on something which should be neither too hot ( not straight from the oven), nor too cold (not straight from the fridge).
This recipe is for a sweet syllabub but it can also be made savoury (see above). You will notice that in this case, because of the absence of sugar, the syllabub thickens much more quickly.
Syllabub is often poured over a dessert, but you can also serve it plain in a small cup (warmed beforehand) instead of coffee or tea.
Syllabub is best served warm, on something which should be neither too hot ( not straight from the oven), nor too cold (not straight from the fridge).
This recipe is for a sweet syllabub but it can also be made savoury (see above). You will notice that in this case, because of the absence of sugar, the syllabub thickens much more quickly.
Keeping: 1 or 2 minutes, no longer.
Source: Home made, but I am deeply grateful to Hervé This for his explanations of how syllabub works and the essential role played by the pinch of flour.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 20 RDI=8 % | 130 RDI=10 % | 40 RDI=6 % | 930 RDI=50 % | 3,900 RDI: 50 % |
| Per 100 g | 4 RDI=2 % | 30 RDI=3 % | 7 RDI=1 % | 190 RDI=10 % | 810 RDI: 10 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 345 g : 2.60 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
Some other recipes using this recipe
Fresh fruit in sabayon
Fresh grapefruit and / or pears, covered with a sabayon and a pinch of citrus crunch.
297 K4.7 55 min.
Soft fruits in sabayon
This recipe is made by briefly cooking an assortment of soft fruits (raspberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, blueberries, currants...) with a little sugar to glaze them. They are served in a small dish, covered with a delicious sabayon which can be lightly "burned" on surface.
275 K3.9 50 min.
Strawberry brunoise in a dessert-wine sabayon
This is a very simple recipe, but the result is absolutely delicious (as long as it's strawberry season, of course): morsels of really ripe strawberries in a sabayon made with sweet white wine.
36 K 25 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Caster sugar
Like these other recipes: Checkerboard biscuits, Tarte Normande, Lemon and lime cakes, Nantes Tourton, Apricot jam with vanilla, ... See them all 361
Sweet white wine
Like these other recipes: Strawberry brunoise in a dessert-wine sabayon, ... See them all 1
Egg yolk
Like these other recipes: Confectioner's custard (Crème pâtissière, or French pastry cream), Real custard sauce (crème anglaise), Crème de foie gras, Little lemon biscuits, Blanquette of veal, ... See them all 74
Flour
Like these other recipes: Flamiche, Bechamel sauce, Pistachio madeleines, Viennese Shortbread, Kugelhof for Nanou, ... See them all 204
Other recipes you may also like
Fruit crumble
A fruit pudding: very easy to do and delicious: just a layer of fruit with a golden crunchy topping. February 21th 2011367 K4.0 1 hour 15 min.
Tiramisu
Classic italian recipe (the name means "pull me up" or more poetically, "take me up to the sky"). It's similar to a charlotte in its structure: layers of flavoured biscuits between layers of smooth cream. July 27th 2013511 K5 50 min.
Fresh mint ice-cream
This well-flavoured ice-cream is excellent on its own, or in profiteroles with a chocolate sauce for example. February 21th 2011542 K4.6 1 hour 35 min.
Fillings for macaroons
The macaroons recipe shows how to make these small cakes, and gives the example of a raspberry filling. Here are several other possibilities: Apricot macaroons, Chocolate macaroons, Mint macaroons, Blackcurrant macaroons. May 30th 2020308 K 24.3 2 hours 1 min.
Macarons (the original French macaroons)
This recipe really is "of the moment": the success of these small, highly-coloured cakes, in an infinite variety of flavours, is impressive. It's a recipe which needs some care, in order to produce a result worthy of a professional pastrychef. No problem, I will guide you through the recipe, particularly the tricky parts. This variety of flavours means that I test many alternatives, so don't be surprised if in the pictures the colour of the macarons changes, I used the best photograph available... October 3rd 20191.61 M 714.6 2 hours 40 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-09-21)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Follow this recipe (as 9 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.
The 5 comments already posted on this recipe