There is nothing I hate more than not sticking to the commitments I make. Back in April I made a commitment to post on gourmetcubicle twice a week, but this past Thursday I skipped a post for the first time. As I mentioned last week, I am on a crazy round the world trip for work and my free time has been limited.

I left Hungary today and I'm in Amsterdam right now waiting for my connection to Singapore. I have 30 minutes to write a short, simple and sweet post, just like the recipe that you're about to read. It is hard to write about fruit right now as I kind of got used to eating huge amounts of meat this week.

As mentioned in previous posts, Hungarians and Romanians don't bother with salads and sides, rather they go straight for the meat. Meat is like the ambrosia for the gods around here. So I am happy to get to eat seafood and more exotic food for the next few days in Singapore. Then I'll go to Tokyo where ramen and yakitori will compensate for the lighter fare I'll have in Singapore.

This recipe is for anyone who, like me, prefers fruity and refreshing desserts. I got the idea of using zabaione during a free cooking class I attended at the Cordon Bleu school not long ago.

I grilled what I had on hand that day. The decision to use white wine instead of Marsala may sound like an odd choice, but before you start judging me, give it a shot. It will blow you away. They are calling my name on the loud speaker for boarding. I think it's a good time to leave you to the recipe. See ya!

Grilled Fruit With Zabaione

Serves 6-8
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Grilled Fruit

1 pineapple, cored and cut into 1 inch rings
1 lb peaches, halved and pitted
1 lb prunes, halved and pitted
1 TBS sugar

Zabaione

6 eggs yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 lemon, zested
1 cup dry white wine

Instructions

Heat grill to high. Place fruit on the grill, the cut side down and sprinkle only the plums with a tablespoon of sugar. Grill plums and peaches for about 2-3 minutes until slightly caramelized. Flip the peaches and plums and grill until they are heated through, about 1-2 minutes. If you grill them any longer they'll become mushy. The pineapple will need more time, about 5-6 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill.
Place double boiler over medium high heat. If using the saucepan-bowl combo, fill up the saucepan with an inch or inch and a half water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
Combine the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest in the bowl and whisk vigorously until the mixture becomes pale and slightly frothy. Place bowl over the saucepan filled with water slowly pour the wine into the bowl, whisking vigorously again until the mixture becomes slightly thick and creamy, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
Sprinkle just a little bit of zabaione over the grilled fruit and serve the rest in a dipping bowl on the side. If you're left with zabaione, keep it in the refrigerator. It will stay good for up to 2-3 days. Enjoy!

NOTES

For the zabaione you'll need either a double boiler or an improvisation consisting of a glass or metal heatproof bowl and a saucepan. If using the latter, fill up the saucepan with an inch or inch and a half water. When the bowl is placed over the saucepan the water should not touch the bottom of it.