Name: Fresh Summer Berry Gratin
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups blackberries, blueberries and/or raspberries ((about 11 ounces)); 3/4 cup strawberries, hulled and halved or quatered ((about 4 ounces)); 2 teaspoons granulated sugar; pinch of salt; 3 large egg yolks; 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided; 3 tablespoons dry white wine; 2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar; 3 tablespoons heavy or whipping cream, chilled

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This delightful summertime treat is a spinoff of the traditional Italian dessert, zabaglione, which is a light delicious custard typically served with a topping of fresh fruit. The beauty of this dish is that it is presented as a warm inviting collection of your favorite berries topped off with a yummy golden crust. Fresh from the oven, this Fresh Summer Berry Gratin is a sure winner. And as an extra bonus, it’s naturally gluten-free.

According to the folks at Gourmet Sleuth, zabaglione [za·ba·glio·ne] is a simple Italian dessert made of egg yolks, sugar and Marsala wine and served warm. The French refer to this as Sabayon and it is used as a dessert or a sauce. Historically, zabaglione is said to have been invented in the 16th Century in Florence, Italy in the court of the Medici.

Technically, this dessert is classified as a “caudle” rather than a custard. A “caudle” is a sauce used as a custard to fill pies or tarts. The original pre-sixteenth century version was a drink made or wine or ale thickened with egg yolks.

To get started on your Fresh Summer Berry Gratin, gather what you’ll need for the berry mixture…

Fresh blackberries, blueberries and/or raspberries – Use a blend of all three or just your favorite berries. Do not substitute with frozen berries on this one.
Fresh strawberries – Hulled. Cut in half or smaller. Depending on the size of each strawberry, cut them so that they’re not too much larger than the other berries. Do not substitute with frozen strawberries.
Granulated sugar – When possible, I prefer to use organic granulated sugar. It’s less processed than conventional refined sugar, retaining some of the molasses, which contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Additionally, organic sugar is produced without synthetic pesticides or herbicides.
Salt – Finely ground table salt is fine.

With the seasonal berries being so plentiful this time of year, I chose to use strawberries, blueberries, blackberries & raspberries here.

This is merely a suggestion. If you don’t care for one or more of these, feel free to make your own mixture. Or use just one type of berry. As long as you use a total of about three cups of berries in all. As an important side note …it is not recommended that you use frozen berries on this one.

Arrange the berries in a shallow baking dish.
Top with the sugar and salt.
Gently toss to combine; set aside.

This dessert can be prepared as four individual servings as illustrated in the original recipe from America’s Test Kitchen. You would use four shallow 6-ounce gratin dishes instead of the larger baking dish. Either way, just be sure to choose a dish or dishes that are on the shallow side for the best presentation.

If making individual gratins:

Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Toss berries, sugar, and salt together in bowl.
Divide the berry mixture evenly among four shallow 6-ounce gratin dishes.
Place the dishes on a prepared sheet; set aside.

Let’s get started on the custard for your Fresh Summer Berry Gratin…

Large eggs – You’ll use just the egg yolks here – save the whites for another use.
Granulated sugar – Adds just the right amount of sweetness.
Dry white wine – The high acidity helps brighten and balance the flavors of the zabaglione without overpowering it.
Light brown sugar – In contrast to its white counterpart, brown sugar boasts a richer, caramel-like, slightly nutty flavor due to its molasses content.
Heavy cream – You can use either heavy cream or whipping cream. Keep in mind that heavy cream has a slightly higher fat content.

The flavor of this custard is lighter when made with a crisp white wine rather than the more traditional Marsala. As a result, the decreased sugar can make the custard a bit runny. No problem. To make up for the loss of structure without making the custard overly sweet, you’ll fold in some plain whipped cream to finish it off.

fresh summer berry gratin

Place the egg yolks, 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and wine in a medium heatproof bowl.
It’s recommended that you use a heatproof glass bowl rather than a metal one to guard against overcooking.
Whisk until the sugar has dissolved, for about one minute.
Set the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water.
Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is frothy.
Continue to cook, still whisking constantly, until the mixture is slightly thickened, creamy and glossy.
This should take about 5 to 10 minutes.
When done, the mixture will form loose mounds when dripped from the whisk.
Remove the bowl from the saucepan and whisk constantly for another 30 seconds to cool slightly.
Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and chill until the egg mixture is completely cool, about 10 minutes.

fresh summer berry gratin

Meanwhile, adjust the oven rack 6 inches from broiler element.
Preheat the broiler.
Combine the brown sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons granulated sugar in a small bowl.

Whisk the heavy cream in a small bowl until it holds soft peaks, 30 to 90 seconds.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled egg mixture.
Spoon the zabaglione over the berries and sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly on top.
Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, until the sugar dissolves.

fresh summer berry gratin

If you are planning to offer this as dessert to your gang, it can be prepared up to this point then placed under the broiler just before serving. It really is delicious when it is still warm from the oven.

Broil the gratin until the sugar is bubbly and caramelized, 2 to 4 minutes.
Keep a constant watch on the progress to prevent over-browning.
Serve immediately.

Your Fresh Summer Berry Gratin is ready…

Gather everyone around the table to enjoy this unique summertime treat.

If you’re feeding a large crowd, this recipe can be doubled or even tripled. Just be sure to use a large enough baking dish so that the berries are still arranged in a single layer.

Fresh Summer Berry Gratin

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Rosemary Stelmach

Ingredients

Berry Mixture

2 1/4 cups blackberries, blueberries and/or raspberries (about 11 ounces)
3/4 cup strawberries, hulled and halved or quatered (about 4 ounces)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
pinch of salt

Zabaglione

3 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons heavy or whipping cream, chilled

Instructions

For the Berry Mixture

Arrange berries in a shallow baking dish. Top with the sugar and salt. Gently toss to combine; set aside.
If making individual gratins: Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Toss berries, sugar, and salt together in bowl. Divide berry mixture evenly among 4 shallow 6-ounce gratin dishes set on prepared sheet; set aside.

For the Zabaglione

Whisk the egg yolks, 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, and wine together in medium heatproof bowl until the sugar has dissolved, about 1 minute. Set the bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is frothy. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is slightly thickened, creamy, and glossy, 5 to 10 minutes (when done, the mixture will form loose mounds when dripped from the whisk). Remove the bowl from the saucepan and whisk constantly for another 30 seconds to cool slightly. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and chill until the egg mixture is completely cool, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, adjust the oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and preheat broiler. Combine brown sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons granulated sugar in a small bowl.
Whisk the heavy cream in a small bowl until it holds soft peaks, 30 to 90 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold whipped cream into the cooled egg mixture. Spoon the zabaglione over the berries and sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly on top. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, until the sugar dissolves.
Broil the gratin until the sugar is bubbly and caramelized, 2 to 4 minutes. Keep a constant watch on the progress to prevent overbrowning. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Frozen berries are not recommended for this recipe.

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