Stuffed Mirlitons Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the mirliton halves cut-side down in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add 1 cup of water, cover tightly with foil and bake until soft, cooked through and easily poked with a fork, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes. (Leave the oven on.) Scoop out the pulp--making sure to leave a 1/4-inch border all around--then chop the pulp and reserve. Discard the water from the baking dish and return the scooped-out mirliton halves cut-side down.
• Meanwhile, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter with the Cajun seasoning in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery, garlic, bell pepper, onion and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and just begin to brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the sausage, hot sauce and tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the sausage is warmed through and the tomatoes start to release their juices, about 3 minutes. Add the crab, shrimp and reserved mirliton pulp and continue cooking until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Microwave the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small microwave-safe dish until melted, about 30 seconds. Add the breadcrumbs and parsley and stir until well combined.
• Turn each mirliton half over so the cut side is facing up. Stuff each with about 1/2 cup of the crab and shrimp mixture--it will seem like a lot, but that's OK. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture and bake until the shrimp are cooked through and the breadcrumbs turn a deep golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with additional hot sauce if desired.

Steps:

• Boil mirlitons until tender, cut in half and remove seeds. Scoop out inside of mirlitons leaving enough flesh to keep shell intact. In a large heavy skillet, heat oil or bacon grease. Sauté onions, garlic and celery until soft. Add shrimp and ham. Cook 10 minutes. Remove excess water from mirliton and mash. Add all remaining ingredients except 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs. Fill the reserved shells. Melt 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in reserved crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over mirlitons. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Steps:

• Cut mirlitons in half lengthwise. Remove seeds in center. Boil until tender. Scoop out flesh, reserving shell for stuffing. Mash the flesh.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat oil in a 9 to 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery and saute until tender. Add mashed mirliton flesh, shrimp (or sausage), 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, seasoned salt, and cayenne pepper and stir to combine. Fill mirliton shells with this mixture. Cover with remaining bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes or until browned. This can be served as a main dish and it also freezes well.

Steps:

• Cut mirlitons in half and scoop out the large seed in the middle. Boil in salted water to cover for 25 minutes, or until tender when punctured with the tines of a fork. Be careful not to overcook.
• Drain and cool for 15 minutes, then scrape out insides into a colander to drain. Leave 1/4 inch of flesh inside shell, being careful not to puncture skin.
• Chop drained mirliton flesh and add to a medium bowl. Mix in butter, lemon juice, parsley, salt, pepper, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 cup bread crumbs; set aside.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a medium saucepan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper and celery and sauté until almost translucent. Add garlic, green onion and tomatoes for just about 2 minutes. Add shrimp for 30 seconds to give them a touch of color. Quickly remove pan from heat and let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes to cool slightly. Fold sautéed ingredients into mirliton mixture.
• Scoop stuffing mixture into each mirliton half. Place mirliton in an oven-safe 1 1/2-inch deep pan. You may need two pans. Dust top of each mirliton evenly with remaining bread crumbs. Pour stock into pans to a half-inch depth, before covering and baking. Cover pans tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.

Steps:

• Boil mirlitons for 1/2 hour or until soft. Drain water and set aside to cool.
• Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a baking dish with 1/2 tbs. butter.
• When mirlitons have cooled,slice in half, lengthwise and remove the seeds carefully.
• Scoop out the mirliton flesh,leaving about 1/4" all around.
• Set the mirliton shells aside.
• Dice the mirliton flesh that was removed from the shells.
• Melt 1/2 tbs. of butter in a large skillet.
• Add shrimp,ham,garlic and spices.
• Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add the diced mirliton,evaporated milk, onion, green onion, and 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring well. Remove the skillet from the heat.
• Spoon the mixture into the mirliton shells.
• Sprinkle the top each of the filled shells with remaining bread crumbs.
• Put the mirlitons in the baking dish and carefully pour chicken broth into the dish around them.
• Bake uncovered for 3o minutes.

Steps:

• Simmer mirlitons until tender.
• Cut each in half, remove seeds and carefully spoon out pulp.
• Set aside.
• Saute onion, garlic& margarine until tender.
• Add french bread that has been soaked in water and squeezed until almost dry, then chopped.
• Cook a few minutes, then add thyme& parsley, continue to cook another 5 minutes.
• Add mirliton that has been chopped& mashed.
• Add salt& pepper.
• Cook 12-15 minutes, then add ham.
• Cook 8-10 minutes.
• Put in greased casserole dish& top with bread crumbs.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
• 1/4 lb.
• shrimp or 3-4 slices of bacon can be substituted for the ham.

Steps:

• Put mirlitons or eggplants in a large pot, cover with cold water and place over medium heat. Cook gently 30 to 40 minutes, till tender; drain.
• In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until fairly crisp. Add the onion, garlic and scallions and cook for 7 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add crayfish tails and cook 3 minutes more. Remove from heat, add a quarter cup of bread crumbs, salt and Tabasco; set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Use a sharp knife to cut the mirlitons in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scrape out the pulp. Mince the pulp and add to the crayfish mixture. Put the mirliton halves on a baking sheet and divide the crayfish mixture evenly among them. Sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs over the mirlitons and bake for 20 minutes.