By Poppy Tooker on September 9, 2016
This creole twist on Thanksgiving squash will delight all your guests. In this Stuffed Mirlitons recipe, chayote squash or mirlitons, are filled with shrimp, claw crabmeat and diced ham, making a hearty and unique side dish or appetizer. If you can't find chayote squash, use the flesh of eggplants and serve it casserole-style.
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Ingredients
4 mirlitons (chayote squash)
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 onion, finely chopped
½ lb. shrimp, shelled, deveined and chopped
½ lb. claw crabmeat
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
½ cup seasoned dried bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. diced ham
Salt and pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Halve each mirliton lengthwise. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the mirliton until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and discard the seed. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon, carefully preserving the shell. Coarsely chop the flesh.
- Measure out 2 tablespoons of the butter. Melt in a small saucepan or the microwave and set aside.
- In a large skillet, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter. Add the onion and cook until translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the mirliton flesh and toss to coat. Stir in the shrimp and cook until just pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the crabmeat, scallions, ¼ cup of the bread crumbs and the ham. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the mirliton shells on a baking sheet. Fill with the stuffing. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup bread crumbs and drizzle with the reserved butter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until heated through.
Tip: If you can’t find mirlitons (also called chayote squash), bake the stuffing in a shallow baking dish, using two medium eggplants (peeled, cubed and boiled until tender) in place of the mirliton flesh. This casserole-style version is how mirlitons are often served in NOLA, too!
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