Seafood Giouvarlakia

This is a recipe I had bookmarked from about a year ago from the blog/site “Cook Eat Up”. It’s a fish/seafood take on a Greek classic called Giovarlakia Soup.

Basically the classic is a soup of meatballs (with rice) that are simmered in a broth (with more rice). It’s a dish my mom would make often and it’s still one of my faves!

This version replaces the meat with a mix of seafood. I used equal parts haddock fillets, shrimp and scallops. Feel free to use what you like but I would avoid salmon (too dominant in flavour).

The soup is finished with an egg/lemon emulsion we call “Avgolemono” and it does deliver! I served this soup last weekend at my Greek Supper Club and many guests thought it was their favourite dish from the menu. Sounds like a ringing endorsement to me!

Seafood Giouvarlakia

(serves 4-6)

1 lb. of mixed seafood (I used haddock, shrimp, scallops)

2 level tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. ground pepper

1 medium onion, grated

1 tsp chopped fresh fennel, ground fennel or anise

1/3 cup Arborio rice

For the soup

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup Arborio rice 

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 carrot, diced

1/2 stalk celery, diced

1-2 Vegetable bouillon cubes (to taste)

1 tsp. pepper

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

2 quarts (8 cups) of vegetable stock

Avgolemono
2 large eggs
juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. of corn starch

1. If using frozen seafood, ensure it is thoroughly thawed and patted-dry. Chop your fish into smaller pieces and add into a food processor (along with shrimp and scallops) and process until it’s a paste.
2. Empty your ground seafood mix into a bowl and add onion, 1/3 cup of rice, fennel, salt & pepper in a large bowl. Form the entire mixture into meatballs.
3. Add olive oil and stock into large pot along with vegetables and bring up to a boil.. Adjust seasoning with bouillon cubes. Drop your meatballs and the  rice into the stock and bring back to a boil. Once you have a boil, reduce to a simmer (medium) with a just closed lid and cook for about 30-35 minutes. Rice should be soft. Take off the heat.
4. In a large bowl, add your corn starch and some water and beat until the  has dissolved to make a slurry.
5. Add eggs and lemon juice and whisk or use an immersion hand-blender until just frothy.
6. Take a ladle of stock from your pot and slowly add it to your egg/lemon mixture while whisking. Slowly add another 2 to 3 ladles of stock into the egg/lemon mixture. You’ve now tempered your your hot liquid and you’ve successfully made an Avgolemono.
7. Slowly add your egg/lemon mixture back into your pot of soup and simultaneously keep on stirring as you’re pouring.
8. Adjust seasoning with salt and reserve for five minutes. Serve with a garnish of parsley or dill, cracked black pepper and some good bread.

© 2023, Peter Minaki. All rights reserved.

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