Mirliton Salad Food

SHRIMP AND MIRLITON CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the mirlitons and cook until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the heat, drain, and set aside to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, combine the shrimp with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon Bayou Blast in a mixing bowl and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• When the mirlitons are cool, cut them in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, peel, and coarsely chop. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, and jalapeno. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon Bayou Blast and the thyme. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and lightly golden, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the mirlitons and cook, mashing them with a potato masher, until very tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes. Add the shrimp, salt, black pepper, green onions, and parsley. Cook, stirring, until the shrimp turn pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Add the eggs, 1 cup of the bread crumbs, and the pepper sauce. Mix well. Spoon the mixture into a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of bread crumbs. Bake until the topping is lightly browned and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William Morrow, 1993.

STUFFED MIRLITONS (CHAYOTE SQUASH) CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Place mirlitons into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Slice the tops off the mirlitons and scoop the flesh out, discarding the seed. Reserve the mirliton shells.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir mirliton flesh with shrimp, onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic until vegetables are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in crabmeat, bread crumbs, and paprika. Season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange mirliton shells on a large baking sheet. Spoon shrimp and crab mixture into each shell.
• Bake in preheated oven until browned, about 30 minutes.

MIRLITON

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add mirliton, and boil until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain, cool, and peel. Cut in half, remove seeds, and cut into cubes.
• When the mirliton are almost done, bring another pot of water to a boil. Add shrimp, and cook for about 5 minutes, until pink. Drain shrimp, reserving the water for later. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry onion and garlic in the oil until soft. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Add the shrimp, ham, and cubed mirliton. Beat the egg in a small dish with a tablespoon of the water from the shrimp; pour into the baking dish. Mix in the bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper until evenly blended. If it seems a little dry, add a little more water from the shrimp. You have the choice to freeze, refrigerate, or bake at this point. Sprinkle some more breadcrumbs on top if desired.
• Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown on top.

MIRLITON CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Take the mirlitons and boil until tender by sticking a sharp knife into it. If it goes in easily just as when testing a potato they are ready. Do not overcook.
• Drain and cool.
• Meanwhile, take your seasonings except for the garlic and parsley and saute until soft.
• Add shrimp and saute until pink.
• add garlic and parsley, bread crumbs, salt & pepper.
• Turn off heat.
• Take the mirlitons and cut in half lengthwise.
• Take a teaspoon and scoop out the seed and sac that surrounds it.
• Then scoop out the meat of the merliton and save it in the pan along with the dressing.
• You can use the shells to refill with the dressing if you care to. Since I usually end up tearing my shells, I usually end up using a casserole dish and adding everything into it after mixing well.
• If the mixture is dry once it is all mixed, you can add a little water or chicken broth a little at a time until it is just a tad pasty.
• Place a pat of butter on each half and bake in medium oven until browned and bubbly.
• You can make these ahead of time and freeze them.
• Take them out a day before you need them and let them thaw in the refrigerator and bake right before serving.
• For variety, you can use hot sausage out of the casing or ground meat.

CHAYOTE SALAD

Steps:

• Place chayotes in a saucepan and cover with water. Cook over medium-high heat until they are soft and a knife can be inserted easily. This process will take about 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the chayotes and how tender they are. Usually, larger chayotes take longer to cook.
• While the chayotes are cooking, mix the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Before adding the oregano to the dressing, crush the oregano with the tips of your fingers. Add the oregano to the dressing along with the onion and mix. Taste and add more salt if needed, based on your personal taste.
• Once the chayotes are cooked, gently remove from the saucepan using cooking tongs and drain. Now, with the help of a vegetable peeler, remove the peel. Cut the chayote into cubes or slices.
• Place the chayotes on a serving plate and drizzle with the dressing. You can serve this salad either cold or warm. As I mentioned above, you can also add some Queso Fresco cubes to the salad. Enjoy!

MIRLITON SALAD

Steps:

• In a medium-size bowl, add mirlitons and vinaigrette; season with salt. Add chives and shallot; toss to combine. Transfer mixture to a second medium-size bowl.
• In the first medium bowl, add greens, dill, and chervil; toss to combine.
• Divide mirliton mixture evenly between each of six plates. Top with greens; serve immediately.

MIRLITON AND SHRIMP DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Rub the mirlitons with oil. Place them on a baking sheet cut side down and bake until they are fork tender and easily peeled, about 45 minutes. Set the mirlitons aside to let rest until they are cool enough to handle, then peel and cut them into 1-inch pieces.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Increase heat to medium-high, add the fresh herbs and shrimp, and stir frequently, until shrimp are just cooked , 3-5 minutes. Stir in the crabmeat. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the diced mirlitons and the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.
• Spoon the dressing into a large buttered baking dish and bake until golden brown, 20-30 minutes.