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1
Bring a saucepan of water to a bare simmer. Combine the egg yolks, dry white wine, and a pinch of salt — and the cooking liquid, if using — in a round-bottomed bowl (cul-de-poule). Set the bowl over the saucepan so that its bottom clears the water entirely. The bowl must not touch the water.
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2
Whisk vigorously and without pause. This is where the dish lives or dies: the temperature must be held between 65 °C and 76 °C throughout. Below 65 °C the yolks remain liquid; above 76 °C the proteins contract, the bubbles collapse, and the result is wine-flavoured scrambled egg. The bowl should be hot to hold but not painful — use a thermometer until that judgement is secure.
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3
Continue whisking for 8–10 minutes without interruption. The mixture passes through three stages: warm and liquid, then foamy, then dramatically thickened. The sabayon is ready when it has tripled in volume and holds soft peaks.
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4
Spoon the sabayon immediately over poached fish, blanched asparagus, or the chosen vegetables in a gratin dish. Flash under a preheated salamander for 60–90 seconds. The surface should colour to an even golden brown while the interior remains airy and light.
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5
Serve at once. The sabayon deflates within 5 minutes; from bowl to table, the entire sequence — spooning, gratinéeing, and service — must be completed in under 3 minutes.