Cubaita Siciliana with Zabaione Mousse

All Recipes
SERVES 4

Ingredients

  • 8 x Medium eggs (room temperature)
  • 120g Caster Sugar
  • 15ml Marsala Wine
  • 300ml Double cream
  • 200g Cubaita Siciliana

We pair our Sicilian nut brittle, Cubaita Siciliana, with this classic Italian mouse for a fresh, summery dessert.

Zabaione, is a classic Italian dessert, which is an egg yolk and sugar emulsion infused with sweet wine. We have opted for the classic Sicilian sweet wine from the west coast of Sicily,Marsala and when paired with almonds from the Val di Noto region you discover a burst of Sicily in a mouthful.

Cubaita Siciliana, a Sicilian nut brittle made predominantly with sesame seeds, honey and almonds deriving from the Arabic settlement in Sicily. This recipe combines sweet and savoury together perfectly. We like to let the almonds shine a little more in our recipe, so we have chosen to use sugar rather than honey as the honey can burn quite quickly and overpower the flavour of the almond.

 

Method

To start, make the Zabaione, heat some water to a gentle simmer in a pan and find a bowl that fits comfortably on top, this is called a Bain Marie. The steam from the water will lightly cook the egg yolks which have been seasoned with all the sugar and Marsala wine. Whisk until thick and glossy. You will see a gradual change to the texture within a few minutes, usually 15/20 minutes of whisking will do for this recipe.

Set the mixture aside to cool down and in the meantime take your cream and whisk until thick and creamy.

Tip

Adding the cream to the cooled Zabaione (the cooked egg yolk mix) is a personal preference of ours as it makes the dish lighter in texture and sets wonderfully, giving a more mousse-like feel.

Once the Zabaione has cooled add a third of the whisked cream into the Zabaione and whisk well. Then gently fold in, continuing to use the whisk the remaining 2 thirds of the cream.

Tip

Using the whisk will prevent any lumps of cream in the mix.

Finally, pour into glasses, cover and set aside in the fridge for a few hours, this can be made at least a day in advance and last 3 days in the fridge covered well.

To assemble, remove the Zabaione mousse from the fridge and crumble over shards of the Cubaita Siciliana.

Sweet, soft and creamy with a savoury crunch, the flavours of Sicily in a bite.

Buon Appetito!