Are you a fan of bouillabaisse? Well, prior to meeting my husband, I’d actually never had bouillabaisse, which is surprising since I’ve always been quite the foodie. Now, I’m somewhat of a connoisseur. Bouillabaisse is essentially a type of seafood stew that’s packed full of veggies, beans, herbs and spices. Using a pressure cooker to prepare such stew can substantially reduce your cooking time while also preserving all the savory flavors.

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Here’s a fun and delicious pressure cooker bouillabaisse recipe that’s perfect if you’re in the mood for something exotic: “East-West Curried Seafood Stew”.

What You Need

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 apple, peeled and chopped
  • 1 banana, peeled and sliced
  • 1⁄2 cup of raisins
  • 1⁄4 cup curry powder
  • 2 tablespoons of packed brown sugar
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon of ground cumin
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon of crushed saffron threads
  • 2 cups of unsweetened coconut milk (*see tip below)
  • 2 cups of chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
  • 3⁄4 cup of heavy or whipping (35%) cream
  • 12 large mussels, scrubbed and debearded
  • 16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 16 sea scallops
  • 12 ounces of snapper (or halibut or other firm white fish), cubed
  • 1⁄2 cup of cooked chickpeas
  • 1⁄2 cup of diced red bell pepper
  • 1⁄4 cup of chopped cilantro

*Tip: Unsweetened coconut milk comes in a can and is easy to find in Asian markets. It adds an exotic flavor to soups and curries but is high in saturated fat and calories. For most recipes, you can substitute “light” coconut milk, which has half the fat of regular coconut milk. Shake the canned coconut milk before opening it, as the thick cream tends to separate and rise to the top.

How To Prepare

In a pressure cooker, combine the garlic, apple, banana, raisins, curry powder, brown sugar, cumin, saffron, coconut milk, stock, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Lock the lid in place and bring the cooker up to full pressure over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, in order to maintain even pressure, and then cook the soup for 10 minutes. Next, remove it from the heat and release the pressure quickly. Using an immersion blender or food processor, purée the soup.

Note: if you use a food processor, allow the soup to cool slightly and then process it in batches. Stir in the cream and add the mussels, shrimp, scallops, fish, chickpeas, and red peppers.

Lock the lid in place once again and bring the cooker up to full pressure over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, in order to maintain even pressure, and then cook the soup for 2 minutes. Remove it from the heat and quickly release the pressure. Divide the fish and seafood between 4 deep soup bowls. Ladle the soup over the top and sprinkle each serving with cilantro.

That’s it!

What I love about pressure cooking is that it preserves most of the nutrients contained in veggies, fruit and beans including key vitamins and minerals like niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, iron and phosphorous. This rich, creamy, delectable and nutrient-rich recipe makes 4 incredibly filling servings of approximately 515 calories each. Bon Appétit!

Recipe courtesy of 225 Best Pressure Cooker Recipes by Cinda Chavich © 2013. Reprinted with publisher permission.