Portuguese Dessert Recipe: Ovos Moles (Portuguese Egg Sauce)

the appetizer:

Discover the foods of Portugal with Portuguese Cooking: The Traditional Cuisine of Portugal by Carol Robertson, with recipes like Piri-piri, Caldeirada (Portuguese Fish Soup), and Almond Cake with Ovos Moles.

Ovos Moles

Serves 4

Portuguese desserts tend to be found in one of three broad categories. The first is fresh or preserved fruits, used alone or with soft cheeses. The second includes baked egg and cream custards, and flans (sometimes combined with almonds or port), and the third category utilizes endless combinations of sugar and eggs.

Sugar and egg yolks alone are used to create this rich sauce called "ovos moles." It can be served by itself as a dessert, over fruit, or as an icing for a sponge cake or torte.

1/3 cup water
1-1/4 cups of sugar
8 egg yolks

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the water. Allow to cool. In the meantime, separate the eggs, reserving the whites for another use. With an electric or hand-beater, beat the yolks until they are thick and light yellow. Continuing to beat them, slowly pour in the sugar syrup. Return the egg and sugar mix to the saucepan, and stirring constantly, heat over low heat until thickened enough to coat the spoon.

Do not allow to boil. It will thicken more upon cooling.