This Chayote soup recipe is similar to seafood chowder but is gluten- and dairy-free. The creamy texture of the chayote creates a naturally smooth texture, and there is no need to add cream or flour like in a chowder. This soup is served with mussels, and the bitterness of the Broccoli Rabe or edible flowers Begonia balances their sweetness. It is perfect for dinner parties, as it can be served cold or warm.
Put in the mussels and stir fry covered until they are all open.
1 lb mussels
Stir from time to times
Add 1 cup of white wine and let it simmer for 1 minute until it evaporates
1 cup dry white wine
When they are all open, remove the mussel but keep the water released by the mussels while cooking.
Strain the water through a paper cloth and let it rest so that any residual sand will fall at the bottom.
The water from the mussels is naturally salted and will be used instead of salt to season the Chayote mousse.
Clean the mussels and put them aside.
Creating a balanced flavour
Now mix the fish fumet, the water from the mussels and the Chayote to make the mousse. It is important to mix the right quantity to balance taste and consistency.
To start add ½ cup of mussels water and ⅓ of fish fumet to the Chayote and blend.
Taste and add more fish fumet or mussels water accordingly until you reach the desired taste and texture.
Pour the mousse in the serving bowl and add 4 mussels and 4 Cime di Rapa per plate to garnish.
Video
Notes
Tips to make this Chayote squash recipe
Tips for the chayote
Chayote is just a zucchini squash with one big seed in the centre. You can substitute it with other zucchini but you may not get the same consistency of the mousse
The chayote has needles in their skin, make sure they have been removed before you touch them. They usually do this at the supermarket
You can easily grow chayote in a climate similar to the Mediterranean, but they need a lot of water
You can use chayote squash as a base for any no-carb soup you want to make!
Tips for the fish fumet
The difference between a general stock and a fumet is that the main ingredient is first roasted or stir-fried. The flavour of the fumet is more intense than a general stock, and in this recipe works perfectly.
If you want to take a short cut you can use fish stock.
To make the fumet you can buy a small fish, here I use gurnards. Don't worry about the fish bones, we will just use the stock, not the meat from the fish.
Keep strictly to the cooking time, seafood should never be overcooked as it will get tough and develop a bitter flavour.
You can make the fumet ahead of time and either keep in the fridge for 1 day or freeze it.
Tips for the mussels
Mussels can be a dangerous source of seafood poisoning if not chosen correctly.
Buy them only at your trusted fishmonger and ask them to clean them
Try to avoid them during the hot season
Fresh mussels should be cooked alive, once dead they will be infected.
Here is how to make sure fresh mussels are alive:
Fresh mussels should always be closed and cannot be open no matter how hard you try
Discharge any open or broken mussels
Rinse them under running water one by one and throw away any open or broken mussels
If they are open but when you touch them they close and will not open if you try, they are fine to eat.
Fresh mussels are naturally salted, you do not need to add any salt
When cooking the mussels, keep the pan covered and turn them every once in a while to make sure they will all open
Once open the mussels are cooked
Do not overcook the mussels, 2 to 3 minutes are enough. If some mussels are still not open remove the opened one and cook only the closed ones.
Any mussels that remain closed even after cooking it should be discharged
Remove any broken open mussels after you have cooked them, but do not worry if you find some once you finished cooking them. The rest of the mussels will not be infected.
Tips for putting it all together
The water from the mussels is naturally salted. Taste and add more fish fumet or mussels water accordingly until you reach your desired taste and texture