Chayotes Rellenos Michoacanos

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide pot for boiling chayotes
• •Cast iron comal or open gas flame for roasting poblanos
• •Medium skillet
• •Green-glazed Michoacán clay cazuela or 2-quart baking dish

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil the chayotes

   Put the chayote halves in a wide pot and cover with water by one inch. Add the tablespoon of salt. Simmer until a knife slides into the thickest part without resistance, 25 to 30 minutes. Do not boil them to collapse. You need tender flesh and shells strong enough to hold the filling.

2. 2

   Roast the poblanos

   Roast the chile poblanos directly over a gas flame or on a hot comal, turning until the skins blister and blacken in patches. Put them in a covered bowl for 10 minutes, then peel, stem, seed, and cut into thin rajas. Poblano gives this dish depth, not fire. Not all Mexican food is trying to punish you.

3. 3

   Hollow the shells

   Drain the chayotes and let them cool until you can handle them. Scoop out the pale flesh with a spoon, leaving a 1/4-inch wall so each shell keeps its shape. Remove the flat seed if it is tough. Chop the flesh roughly and let it sit in a strainer for 5 minutes. Chayote holds water, and watery filling makes a sad gratin.

4. 4

   Fry the base

   Heat the manteca de cerdo in a skillet over medium. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until it smells sweet, not browned, about 30 seconds. Add the chopped chayote and cook 5 minutes, stirring, until the extra moisture cooks off. La manteca es el sabor, especially in a vegetable dish where people think fat does not matter.

5. 5

   Mix the filling

   Take the skillet off the heat. Fold in the poblano rajas, crema de rancho, 1/2 cup of the Cotija, the queso adobera, epazote, and black pepper. Taste before adding more salt because Cotija carries its own. The filling should be creamy but not loose, with the chayote still visible. You are making chayote, not cheese dip.

   If the mixture looks wet, cook it two more minutes before filling the shells. The oven browns the top, but the skillet fixes the texture.
6. 6

   Fill and top

   Heat the oven to 375F. Set the hollowed chayote shells in a lightly greased clay cazuela or baking dish. Spoon the filling back into the shells, mounding it generously. Mix the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup Cotija and scatter it over the top. Dot with the small pieces of butter.

7. 7

   Bake until golden

   Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the filling is hot through and the top is golden with browned spots where the Cotija caught the heat. Let the chayotes rest 10 minutes before serving. The crema settles, the shells firm up, and the dish slices cleanly. Así se hace y punto.

Chef Tips

• •Buy chayotes that are firm, pale green, and heavy for their size. If the skin is wrinkled or the bottom feels soft, leave it at the market. Pregúntale a las señoras del mercado.
• •Crema de rancho is thick, tangy, and rich. If you cannot find it, use the thickest Mexican crema you can buy. Sour cream is a compromise, not an upgrade, and it gives a sharper flavor than this Michoacán dish wants.
• •Cotija should be dry and crumbly, not rubbery. Good Cotija seasons the filling and browns on top. Taste before adding extra salt.
• •This is a side dish for roasted chicken, pork loin, carnitas, or a holiday table with rice and beans. It is not Tex-Mex casserole. No cheddar. No sour cream blanket. Cada estado, su propia cocina.

Advance Preparation

• •The chayotes can be boiled and hollowed one day ahead. Refrigerate the shells and chopped flesh separately, covered.
• •The filling can be made one day ahead. Bring it close to room temperature before stuffing so it heats evenly in the oven.
• •Assembled chayotes can be refrigerated for up to 8 hours before baking. Add 5 to 8 minutes to the bake time if they go into the oven cold.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 235g)