Gazpachuelo malagueño, a very curious recipe from Málaga

A soup based on fumet and mayonnaise? Yes, it is a thing and it is called gazpachuelo, a dish born in the fertile lands of Málaga. A recipe that is curious to say the least because of its ingredients but also because of its simplicity and result.

Despite the surprise it may cause, there is a reason why this hot soup is prepared in the region as one of its most traditional dishes. It is worth discovering new flavors and textures to find yourself face to face with recipes that change the perception of diners. Potatoes, shrimp, water and mayonnaise. Not much more.

Gazpachuelo malagueño

Gazpachuelo malagueño. | Shutterstock

Ingredients for gazpachuelo

  • 2 medium potatoes
  • 700 g of hake
  • Skin and bones of ½ hake
  • 250 g shrimps with skin
  • 1 l of water
  • 1 egg
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 100 ml of olive oil
  • 100 ml of sunflower oil
  • 1 small garlic
  • Salt

How to make the gazpachuelo

  1. To start with the gazpachuelo, bring the liter of water to a boil over medium heat. Peel the shrimps and add the shells and heads to the boiling water to make the fumet. Add the potatoes with skin cut in half. Add also the bone and the skin of the hake to finish with the fumet that will have to cook for 25 minutes.
  2. To finish preparing the prawns, remove the guts from each of them to avoid the sand they contain. Cut the hake into cubes and set aside.
  3. Make the mayonnaise. To do this, add the egg, lemon, oil, garlic and a pinch of salt in a mixing glass. Whisk slowly to avoid it from cutting and set aside until the end of the recipe.
  4. When the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the pan and strain the fumet. Return the broth to the pot and put it over low heat. Add the diced hake to the pot and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat and add the shrimp, which will be ready in 2-3 minutes. Let the pot rest for 5 minutes (always off the heat). Add the peeled and sliced potatoes and season with salt.
  5. Finally, add 1 ladle of fumet in the mixing glass where the mayonnaise is waiting and stir well to prevent it from being cut. Repeat the operation with two more ladles. Once the mayonnaise is well diluted, add it to the pot and stir slowly to avoid breaking the pieces of hake. Serve as soon as possible to prevent it from getting cold and serve with toasted bread.

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