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Pale golden Rüsümada Valtellinese in a small glass cup dusted with cinnamon, wine bottle resting on a rustic wooden table.

Rüsümada Valtellinese: A Warm Egg and Red Wine Custard

A whisked egg and red wine custard from the Valtellina valley, cooked over a double boiler until thick and foamy, then served warm with biscuits.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dessert Drink
Cuisine: Alpine
Calories: 180
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 egg yolks large
  • 60 g granulated sugar
  • 300 ml dry red wine Chiavennasca or another dry, medium-bodied red
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • lemon zest zest of 1/2 lemon; optional
  • 2 tbsp grappa optional, stirred in off the heat
For serving
  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon per cup
  • 8 pieces dry biscuits savoiardi, biscotti, or amaretti

Method
 

  1. Warm the red wine, cinnamon stick, and lemon zest in a 1-quart / 1L saucepan over medium heat until steaming, 3 to 4 minutes. Don't let it boil.
  2. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof mixing bowl until pale and slightly thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Fish out the cinnamon stick and lemon zest from the wine. Pour the warm wine into the yolk mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
  4. Set the bowl over a 2-quart / 2L saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the bottom doesn't touch the water. Whisk constantly for 5 to 8 minutes, until the custard is foamy, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, and reads 71C/160F on an instant-read thermometer.
  5. Pull the bowl off the heat the moment it hits temperature. If it keeps cooking, the yolks will scramble into curds.
  6. Stir in the grappa, if using, off the heat.
  7. Ladle the warm custard into small cups. Dust with ground cinnamon and serve right away with dry biscuits for dunking.

Notes

  • Use a heatproof bowl that fits snugly over the saucepan without touching the water.
  • Pull the custard off the heat the second it coats a spoon, it keeps thickening off heat.
  • Chiavennasca, the local Nebbiolo, gives the most authentic color and flavor.
  • Whisk constantly, a pause of even 10 seconds can scramble the yolks near the end.