Summer berries and pink Champagne sabayon

As far as I’m concerned, summer is no time to be serving hefty puddings. Take advantage, instead, of the brief season when berries are at their ripest – but make them special by adding a layer of gently foaming sabayon made with ros Champagne (or sparkling wine). As you only need to use a small amount of fizz to make the sabayon, you can always serve the rest of the bottle as an aperitif . . .

(serves 4)

500g mixed ripe berries (choose from strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or blackberries)
a scant teaspoon of rosewater
a sprinkling of caster sugar, if needed
3 large egg yolks
45g caster sugar
60ml pink Champagne (preferably at room temperature)

Halve the strawberries, or cut them into quarters if they’re really big. Tip them and the other berries into a mixing bowl.Sprinkle the rosewater on the berries (and a sprinkling of caster sugar is they’re not fully ripe) and mix gently but thoroughly.Spoon the berries into 4 small bowls or glass tumblers (to my mind, the glasses are the prettiest option because you get the full effect of the sabayon layered on top of the berries).

Bring about three or four inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan. Place the egg yolks, sugar and Champagne in a heatproof bowl that will sit comfortably on the rim of the saucepan (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t come into contact with the simmering water). Whisk the mixture until it becomes thick and glossy, falling from the beater in a slow ribbon. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and carry on whisking until the mixture has cooled slightly (the sides of the bowl should no longer feel hot). Spoon gently over the berries and serve.

Wine suggestion:
The Champenois would, of course, suggest that you serve the rest of the bottle of ros Champagne but to my mind you need a bit more sweetness to complement the dessert. On the other hand, a full-on dessert wine would swamp the relatively delicate flavours of the berries and sabayon.

The ideal match would be a bottle of the gently ptillant Stella Bella Pink Muscat 2006 (£6.99, Oddbins and www.everywine.co.uk) – its rose-and-berries flavours would harmonise beautifully with those of the pudding. If you can’t get hold of a bottle, Arione’s Moscato Spumante (£4.49, Waitrose) would be my second choice – and not a poor second at that.

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