Red Berry Gratin with Sabayon

📝 Ingredients

• 500 g frozen red berries
• 4 eggs (yolks only)
• 60 g caster sugar + 2 tsp for the top
• 1 unwaxed orange (about 200 g)
• ½ lemon
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 20 g flaked almonds

🍴 Utensils

• 4 individual gratin dishes
• Colander
• Saucepan
• Large heatproof bowl
• Whisk or electric hand mixer
• Fine grater and citrus squeezer

📖 Steps

1. Defrost the berries the day before in the fridge in a sieve set over a bowl, or for 4 to 5 min in the microwave on the defrost setting. Then leave them to drain for 15 min: too much juice would make the sabayon soggy.
2. Drizzle the drained fruit with the juice of the half lemon, mix gently and spread it in a single layer in 4 small gratin dishes. Turn the oven grill on to maximum, with the rack at the top.
3. Zest half the orange with a fine grater, then squeeze the orange to get 80 ml of juice. Separate the whites from the yolks and put the yolks in a large heatproof bowl (keep the whites in the fridge).
4. Whisk the yolks with the 60 g sugar for 1 min, until the mixture turns pale, then add the orange juice, zest and vanilla. Set up a saucepan with 3 cm of barely simmering water.
5. Set the bowl over the pan, without the base touching the water, and whisk constantly for 6 to 8 min (with the electric mixer on medium speed or by hand). The sabayon should triple in volume, become thick and frothy, and fall in a ribbon that holds for a few seconds.
6. Keep an eye on the heat: if the mixture catches or turns grainy at the edges, lift the bowl off for a few seconds while still whisking, or the yolks will scramble. Off the heat, whisk for 1 more min to stabilise.
7. Immediately spoon the sabayon over the fruit, covering it right to the edges, then scatter with flaked almonds and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tsp sugar.
8. Slide under the grill for 1 to 2 min without taking your eyes off the oven, until the top is golden in places: it burns in seconds. Serve immediately, with the sabayon warm and the fruit cool.