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Created by Chef Remy
Louisiana's treasured vegetable pear, tender and mild, hollowed and stuffed with sweet Gulf shrimp, the holy trinity, and buttery breadcrumbs, then baked until the top turns golden and the filling bubbles at the edges.
Mirlitons are Louisiana's best kept secret. The rest of the country calls them chayote or vegetable pear, but down here we know them as the mild, tender squash that takes on whatever flavors you give it. That's the magic of this humble vegetable. It doesn't compete with your shrimp and seasonings. It carries them.
My grandmother Evangeline made stuffed mirlitons every Thanksgiving without fail. She'd parboil them whole until a fork slid through easy, then scoop out the flesh and mix it with whatever the day's catch brought in. Sometimes it was shrimp, sometimes crabmeat, sometimes both if we'd been lucky. The filling went back into those pale green shells, got covered with buttered breadcrumbs, and baked until the whole kitchen smelled like heaven.
The technique here is simple but the layering matters. Season your shrimp before they hit the pan. Cook your trinity until the onions turn sweet and translucent. Build your breadcrumb topping with good butter and fresh herbs. Each layer adds depth, and by the time that dish comes out of the oven, you've got something that tastes like it took all day but really just took attention.
At Lagniappe, we serve these at holiday time and guests go back for seconds before they've finished their firsts. That's the kind of dish this is. Honest, generous, and impossible to eat just one.
Quantity
6 medium (about 3 pounds total)
Quantity
1 pound
peeled and deveined
Quantity
2 teaspoons, divided
Quantity
4 tablespoons, divided
Quantity
1 large
finely diced
Quantity
2
finely diced
Quantity
1 medium
finely diced
Quantity
4 cloves
minced
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground
Quantity
1 teaspoon, plus more to taste
Quantity
1/2 cup
Quantity
1 cup
Quantity
3 tablespoons
chopped
Quantity
3
thinly sliced
Quantity
1/4 cup
grated
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| mirlitons | 6 medium (about 3 pounds total) |
| medium Gulf shrimppeeled and deveined | 1 pound |
| Creole seasoning | 2 teaspoons, divided |
| unsalted butter | 4 tablespoons, divided |
| yellow onionfinely diced | 1 large |
| celery stalksfinely diced | 2 |
| green bell pepperfinely diced | 1 medium |
| garlicminced | 4 cloves |
| cayenne pepper | 1/2 teaspoon |
| dried thyme | 1/2 teaspoon |
| black pepperfreshly ground | 1/2 teaspoon |
| kosher salt | 1 teaspoon, plus more to taste |
| seafood stock or shrimp stock | 1/2 cup |
| fresh breadcrumbs | 1 cup |
| fresh parsleychopped | 3 tablespoons |
| green onionsthinly sliced | 3 |
| Parmesan cheesegrated | 1/4 cup |
Place whole mirlitons in a large pot and cover with cold, salted water by two inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook for 35 to 45 minutes until a fork slides into the thickest part with gentle resistance. They should be tender but not mushy. You're going to bake them later, so leave a little firmness.
Drain mirlitons and let them cool until you can handle them comfortably, about 15 minutes. Cut each one in half lengthwise through the stem. Scoop out the soft center seed and discard it. Using a spoon, carefully hollow out the flesh, leaving a quarter inch wall to hold the shell's shape. Chop the scooped flesh finely and set aside. You should have about 3 cups of chopped mirliton.
Season shrimp with 1 teaspoon of the Creole seasoning, tossing to coat evenly. This is where flavor building starts. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter foams and the foam subsides, add shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 1 minute per side until just pink and slightly curled. They'll finish cooking in the oven, so pull them early. Transfer to a cutting board and chop roughly into bite-sized pieces.
Add 2 tablespoons butter to the same skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper. Season with the remaining teaspoon of Creole seasoning, the cayenne, thyme, black pepper, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes until the onions turn translucent and sweet. You'll smell the vegetables release their perfume. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Add the chopped mirliton flesh to the skillet. Stir to combine with the trinity. The mirliton will release moisture as it cooks. Let it simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture thickens. Pour in the seafood stock and cook another 3 minutes until absorbed. Remove from heat.
Fold in the chopped shrimp, half the breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons of parsley, and half the green onions. Mix gently until everything is distributed evenly. The mixture should be moist but hold together when pressed. If it seems dry, add a splash more stock. If too wet, add a few more breadcrumbs.
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Arrange the hollowed mirliton shells in a baking dish large enough to hold them snugly. Divide the filling among the shells, mounding it generously. The filling should rise above the shell's edge. Press gently to compact. These are supposed to be abundant, not precious.
Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. In a small bowl, toss the remaining breadcrumbs with the melted butter, Parmesan, remaining parsley, and remaining green onions. This buttery, herbed crust is what makes people ask for the recipe. Sprinkle evenly over each stuffed mirliton.
Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes until the topping turns deep golden brown and you can see the filling bubbling at the edges. The shells should be completely tender when pierced with a knife. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. This allows the filling to set so it doesn't spill out when you cut in.
1 serving (about 330g)
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