Recipe 60: Charred Chayote Soup with Adobo Shrimp

Yum, yum, yum, wow! I want another bowl. I better get tomorrow's dinner started, this meal isn't lasting through lunch tomorrow.

I'll begin with the Chayote squash, as I've never worked with it before and the recipe begins with it. I had to peel it, half it, and seed it. It peels like an apple. The inside is honeydew melon color as the light green outside suggests. The seed is like a pit but not as tough nor as big as an avocado pit. Easiest squash I've ever worked with. It has a very crisp taste, even roasted for charring and after being paired with adobo and crushed red pepper. Its a perfect carrier for these spices. Its also small and easy to cut, and has a slightly shorter cooking time.

The recipe called for a grill pan. I did not have a grill pan, nor did I feel like borrowing a grill to use in 6 more inches of snow. I decided to simply cook the squash on the open rack of my oven. I didn't get them quite charred, maybe the heat was too low or I didn't cook them long enough, but they still had a good, crisp flavor. Now that I see they are a member of the cucumber family, it explains the texture and flavor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chayote

While the chayote were cooking, I defrosted the semi-cheater shrimp. I'm not big into peeling them, so I bought them peeled and deveined already. It worked for me. I added salt to the shrimp-hopefully not too much, then 2 tsps of adobo sauce from chipotle peppers. Looks like I'll be having spicy egg muffins in the morning, with cheese. The shrimp get set aside until you are almost ready to serve the soup, they don't take long to cook.

Then I melted butter, diced onions, sauteed for three minutes, minced garlic and sauteed for 30 more seconds, and tossed in the ground cumin a little early, but it worked out. I took the saute off the heat when I realized I was supposed to have the squash diced-1/2 inch and set aside. I diced the squash which was almost ready and had a great flavor even without being perfectly charred. Then I added the chicken stock and the squash and the dash or two of crushed red pepper flakes, and brought it all to a boil. Once it got to a boil, I simmered for about 8 to 10 minutes, then added in the shrimp. I cooked for a couple of moments until the shrimp were tender and barely remembered to chop the tablespoon of cilantro to add in when I was ready to serve.

I then tasted a shrimp and the soup then both together. Wonderful, near perfection. Yum, yum, wow, or in the words of young Kayla's favorite song: Boom, boom, pow. And yes, to be completely cheesy, I gotta get it.

I added the sour cream and found a nice creamier element which slightly thickened up the soup. I'm not sure if this is perfection, but its damn close, and now I'm going to have more.

I will definitely be making this recipe again!