Zabov

Zabov (Italian Egg Liqueur)

Zabov is a creamy, frothy Italian egg liqueur from the Dolomite region of Belluno in Veneto. Made with just eggs, milk, sugar, and a splash of grappa or rum, it is traditionally served chilled as a digestif, especially at Easter.

Prep

15 min

Cook

15 min

Total

30 min

Serves

Makes about 700 ml (4 cups)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •6 whole (6 large) egg yolks, plus 2 whole eggs, pasteurized if concerned about raw egg consumption
• •250 ml (1 cup) whole milk, fresh, full-fat
• •250 ml (1 cup) sugar, fine granulated
• •1 pinch salt
• •1 tsp vanilla extract, or one vanilla bean, split and scraped
• •120 ml (½ cup) grappa, traditional; substitute with white rum or brandy if grappa is unavailable
• •1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated, optional for brightness

Steps

1. 1 Set up a double boiler (bain-marie): bring a few centimeters of water to a gentle simmer in a saucepan, making sure the bowl sitting on top does not touch the water.
2. 2 In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the 6 egg yolks, 2 whole eggs, sugar, and salt until pale and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
3. 3 Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth, then place the bowl over the simmering water.
4. 4 Cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until it thickens to a thin custard that coats the back of a spoon and reaches 70°C (160°F) on a kitchen thermometer, about 8–12 minutes. Do not let it boil or the eggs will scramble; if it gets too hot, lift the bowl off the heat briefly and whisk vigorously.
5. 5 Stir in the vanilla extract (or vanilla seeds) and lemon zest, if using. Remove from the heat.
6. 6 Let the custard cool to lukewarm, whisking occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
7. 7 Once cooled, whisk in the grappa (or rum/brandy) until fully incorporated. The alcohol will slightly loosen the custard into a pourable liqueur.
8. 8 Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean glass bottle or jar with a tight lid.
9. 9 Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to meld and the liqueur to thicken further.
10. 10 Serve well-chilled in small glasses (about 60 ml / 2 fl oz per serving). Zabov keeps refrigerated for up to 5 days; shake or stir before serving as it may settle.
11. 11 Safety note: Zabov is a lightly cooked egg liqueur, not fully pasteurized. Use very fresh, refrigerated eggs, and serve only to children, pregnant women, elderly, or immunocompromised guests if you have used pasteurized eggs. Consume within the recommended 5 days.