Asparagus with Bacon Sabayon

What is Sabayon? That was my first question. I knew it was French, but that was about it. Turns out this rendition of a Bacon Sabayon isn’t your typical French Sabayon. A typical Sabayon is the French take on another classic Custard Sauce, Zabaglione. A true Sabayon, like it’s Italian Cousin, is made with wine, egg yolks and sugar. Zabaglione is made with a sweet wine such as Marsala. I’ve even used Zabaglione to create a Whipped Cream with Fruit dessert. A traditional French Sabayon is made with a white wine such as a Chardonnay. Both are usually dessert sauces.

This take on Sabayon is anything but typical. The sauce is made with bacon drippings, spicy pepper, and the bite of vinegars both in the Wine Vinegar and Dijon Mustard. It is wonderful over asparagus. Kiddo described the sauce beautifully when he said it was the creamy center of a deviled egg. While the yolk based sauce might resemble a traditional Hollandaise Sauce, it is far easier to create. The vinegar and mustard gives it a real bite.

Just a few tips before we get to cooking – the sauce with become thicker as it cools. Once made, you’ll want to serve it up right away. Any remaining sauce should be kept warm in a ramekin like drawn butter. Adding more butter as it thickens would be another way to keep the sauce fluid.

I will be honest, this dish is not for everyone. For Hubby, it was a one-bite pass. However; for Kiddo (who isn’t an asparagus fan to begin with) it was a second-helping dish. I really liked it as well. My only hesitation is that the sauce is strong. Not to the point of overshadowing the asparagus. No, those flavors play nicely off one another. But it is strong, as in you either will love it or hate it.

Asparagus with Bacon Sabayon
1 lb Asparagus, trimmed
1 Bunch Chives, garnish
4 Strips Bacon
4 Egg Yolks
3 tablespoons Water
1 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 pinch Cayenne
1 tablespoons Bacon Drippings
2 tablespoons Butter

Snap woody ends from the asparagus. Place trimmed asparagus into a steamer and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Remove steamer from heat, keep warm until ready to serve.

Chop chives for garnish and set aside until ready to serve.

While the asparagus is steaming, prepare the Bacon Sabayon. Chop bacon into pieces. Cook in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, stirring as needed to prevent burning. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, reserving the drippings.

Combine the egg yolks, water, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and a pinch of cayenne pepper in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Continually whisk until thick, 4 minutes.

Remove from the heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon bacon drippings. Whisk until the bacon drippings are fully blended. Add butter, one tablespoons at a time and whisk until fully incorporated between each addition.

Place asparagus onto a serving platter. Ladle Sabayon over the steamed asparagus. Garnish with chives and bacon bits, serve warm.

Author: Rosemarie's Kitchen

I'm a wife, mother, grandmother and avid home cook.I believe in eating healthy whenever possible, while still managing to indulge in life's pleasures. View all posts by Rosemarie's Kitchen