Tunisian Sabayon
Overview
Tunisian sabayon is a frozen custard of whipped egg, sugar and oil, scented with orange blossom water and served very cold under crushed pistachios or almonds. It resembles its Italian namesake in ingredients and method, with one substitution that changes it entirely: oil replaces the alcohol. Sabayon comes from the Italian zabaione, and the word appears in French as sabaillon in 1803, apparently brought back by soldiers from the Italian and Swiss expedition of 1799 to 1800. Older origins are claimed, an introduction to the French court in 1533, or an invention in Turin, but these are unverified and some are frankly legendary. The Tunisian version is much more recent than any of them, arriving through Italian influence in Tunisia. There is one thing to be clear about. Italian zabaione is cooked, whisked over a bain-marie until the eggs thicken. **This version is not cooked at any point.** The eggs are whipped raw, folded together and frozen. That makes it a raw egg dessert, which matters for anyone pregnant, elderly, very young or immunocompromised, and pasteurised eggs are the sensible answer if you are serving it to any of them. It needs at least eight hours in the freezer, so it has to be made the day before.
AFN Heritage Note
Tunisian sabayon derives from the Italian zabaione, which entered French as sabaillon in 1803. The Tunisian version substitutes oil for the alcohol of the original and is a recent arrival through Italian influence in Tunisia.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Separate the eggs.
- 2
Whisk the yolks with 5 tablespoons of the sugar and the vanilla extract until pale and frothy.
- 3
Add the oil slowly, whisking continuously, to obtain a smooth and even mixture.
- 4
Add the orange blossom water and mix.
- 5
Separately, beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar until stiff.
- 6
Fold one third of the egg whites into the yolk mixture gently, then fold in the rest gradually without stirring.
- 7
Pour into individual ramekins or a large dish and place in the freezer for at least 8 hours.
- 8
Decorate with crushed pistachios or almonds.
- 9
Serve on its own, or with red berries or a sponge cake such as bouscoutou.
Africook’s Notes
- This dessert contains raw egg and is never cooked. Use pasteurised eggs if serving anyone pregnant, elderly, very young or immunocompromised.
- Add the oil in a slow stream while whisking, exactly as you would making mayonnaise. Poured in quickly it will not emulsify and the mixture splits.
- Fold the whites in rather than stirring, and take the first third as a sacrifice to loosen the base. Stirring knocks out all the air.
- Eight hours in the freezer is a minimum, not a target. It needs to set firm and it is best made the day before.
- Orange blossom water is assertive. Two tablespoons for six eggs is the measure and it is easy to overdo.
- Serve it very cold, straight from the freezer. It softens quickly and loses its texture once it warms.
Questions cooks ask
Is this the same as Italian zabaione?
No, and the difference matters. Italian zabaione is whisked over a bain-marie until the eggs cook and thicken, and it is flavoured with Marsala or another wine. The Tunisian version replaces the alcohol with oil, is never heated at any point, and is frozen rather than served warm.
Does it contain raw egg?
Yes. The eggs are whipped raw and the dessert is frozen rather than cooked, so nothing pasteurises them. That is worth knowing before serving it to anyone pregnant, elderly, very young or with a compromised immune system. Pasteurised eggs are widely available and work identically here.
Why does it use oil instead of alcohol?
Because most Tunisians do not drink, so the wine in the Italian original was substituted. Oil gives richness and body in its place, emulsified into the yolks in the same way mayonnaise is made. It produces a smoother, denser custard than the alcohol version and freezes more reliably.
What is it served with?
On its own, or with red berries, which cut through its richness. Traditionally it accompanies harissa hloua, the sweet Tunisian semolina cake soaked in syrup, or bouscoutou, a light sponge cake. Crushed pistachios or almonds on top are standard and provide the texture the frozen custard otherwise lacks. It is always served very cold, straight from the freezer, and softens quickly once out.
Reviews
2 reviews
chale i had to search three Turkish grocers on Tottenham High Road before i found proper orange blossom water for this oo. my tunisian friend used to make this dessert with toasted almonds when we lived together. whipping those 6 egg whites until stiff took forever with my hand whisk but the fragrant smell at the end was so nice paa.
whisking half a cup of oil into egg yolks felt so wrong at first, almost like making sweet mayonnaise! but once you fold in the stiff whites with the orange blossom water and sprinkle crushed pistachios on top it turns out so light and lekker. I used 5 tbsp of Selati sugar for the yolk part and it was just right.