Zabaglione with Strawberries

1 . Stage

Put the egg yolks, the marsala and then the sugar into a large stainless-steel bowl. Set the bowl over a large saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water. Using a hand-held electric mixer on low speed or a whisk, beat the egg-yolk mixture until it is hot and the mixture forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifted, 5 to 8 minutes. Don't cook the zabaglione for too long, or it will curdle.

2 . Stage

Put the strawberries in stemmed glasses or in bowls. Top with the hot zabaglione and either serve the dessert immediately or refrigerate it for up to an hour.

3 . Stage

Test-Kitchen Tip: What you need to make zabaglione is, in effect, a double boiler that's wide enough to accommodate an electric mixer. This is easy to rig up with a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan.