Málaga, Andalusia
One of the most unusual soups in Spanish cooking — a warm fish broth stabilised with mayonnaise, producing a creamy, emulsified, warm-cold experience that defies easy categorisation. The name deliberately invokes gazpacho (the cold soup) but the technique is entirely different: a fish broth is made and brought to serving temperature, then mayonnaise is whisked in off the heat to emulsify without scrambling. The result is silky, slightly sharp from the vinegar in the mayonnaise, and rich. Gazpachuelo is a fisherman's dish from Málaga — made on the boats with potato, fresh fish, and whatever oil and vinegar the crew had. The mayonnaise version is the more refined urban adaptation.
The broth must be hot but not boiling when the mayonnaise is added — above 85°C the eggs in the mayonnaise scramble. Whisk the mayonnaise in quickly and continuously. The result should be a pale, creamy, lightly thickened broth. The potato (pre-cooked) adds body. The fish (cod, monkfish, or whitefish) is added separately — never in the broth that will receive the mayo.
This dish demonstrates the versatility of the emulsion technique — the same principle as hollandaise (hot liquid stabilised by egg-fat emulsion) applied to a soup. Use a good fish stock made from white fish frames. The mayonnaise should be a full-flavoured, slightly sharp one — commercial mayo is acceptable if good quality. Pair with manzanilla or fino sherry.
Adding mayonnaise to boiling broth — scrambled egg in the soup. Not whisking fast enough — the emulsion breaks. Over-seasoning the base broth — the mayonnaise adds richness and some saltiness. Serving with the fish already added to the broth — the fish should be a floating element, not cooked in the emulsified broth.
The Food of Spain by Claudia Roden