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
115 g
4 IngredientsLast modified on: November 12th 2017
For 115 g, you will need:
- 1
2 egg yolks - 2
30 g caster sugar - 3
6 tablespoons sweet white wine - 4
1 pinch flour - Total weight: 160 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, 2 egg yolks and 30 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 6 tablespoons sweet white wine to mixture (or sweet wine, fruit juice, coffee, etc.) and 1 pinch 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 | 6 RDI=3 % | 40 RDI=4 % | 10 RDI=2 % | 310 RDI=20 % | 1,300 RDI: 20 % |
| Per 100 g | 4 RDI=2 % | 30 RDI=3 % | 7 RDI=1 % | 190 RDI=10 % | 810 RDI: 10 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 115 g : 0.90 €
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
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.
34 K 25 min.
Fresh fruit in sabayon
Fresh grapefruit and / or pears, covered with a sabayon and a pinch of citrus crunch.
295 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.
273 K3.9 50 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Caster sugar
Like these other recipes: Dandelion flower jelly, Caramelized apple "moelleux" cake, Pear compote , Little lemon biscuits, Sesame cookies, ... 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: Baked potatoes with poached egg and tuna sauce , Fresh mint ice-cream, Chocolate and vanilla crème brûlée, Clementine confectioner's custard, Dauphinoise potatoes with Serano ham, ... See them all 74
Flour
Like these other recipes: Galette Charentaise, Chocolate mug cake, Boeuf (beef) bourguignon, Half-cooked chocolate cake with raspberry coulis, Four quarters, ... See them all 204
Other recipes you may also like
Vanilla sugar
Almost essential in patisserie, you can find it in expensive little sachets of about 10g. It's necessary to distinguish between the vanilla sugar which really contains vanilla, and vanillin sugar, purely chemical which has never seen a vanilla pod. Here is how to quickly make a whole jar full of your own vanilla sugar. August 12th 2018429 K 15 30 min.
Almond cream
Light and delicious, it is used in a lot of desserts like tarts, cakes and pies (epiphany galette). August 31th 2025469 K 25 35 min.
Chocolate sauce
This rich smooth chocolate sauce, with its full flavour, is one of the indispensable ingredients of profiteroles, but it can be used with many others desserts. February 21th 2011315 K 24 35 min.
Tahitian style fish
Little pieces of fish marinated overnight a night in lime juice. February 21th 2011279 K5 12 hours 60 min.
How to peel a garlic clove easily
Here are, in a video, how to from a head of garlic to clove ready to be used. August 8th 2013140 K 24.3 5 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-09-14)
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