Sechium edule, squash of many names
Sept 29, 2011 18:49:14 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on Sept 29, 2011 18:49:14 GMT
Whew ~~ I knew the vegetable pear had different names in different places, but until Tod told me about its South African names, I didn't know it was so widespread.
Wikipedia article of unsubstantiated accuracy, but interesting
This was a vegetable I knew from childhood as mirliton. In Louisiana, they were ready for picking from the vines in autumn. It was mostly a home garden vegetable. Much later, as Mexican food became known in the US, people learned about chayotes -- same vegetable, different name -- and they were sometimes to be found in US supermarkets.
Even though I live in Mexico, I still cook the mirliton/chayote the ways I always have. However one Mexican way with it is quite good -- creamed soup. This has so many variations, it doesn't need a recipe, nor even cream every time. It's a home-style soup, so use all chayote or combine with other vegetables; cook, season, blenderize in the cooking water or chicken stock & add cream or not.
Raw, peeled chayote is good shredded into slaw.
Steamed mirliton is good simply dressed w/olive oil, salt & pepper.
I love to use it as a substitute for snow peas in stir fry: peel, cut the long way, then slice horizontally. It will look & taste a great deal like snow peas.
Tod, the following recipe is lifted whole from this page, but it could have come from my grandmother's kitchen or any kitchen in Louisiana. You can also make it (authentically) with shrimp or ground beef.
CRAB-STUFFED MIRLITON
2 tsp olive oil
4 mirlitons, sliced lengthwise
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c onions, chopped
1 c red bell pepper, chopped
1 c celery, chopped
1/2 c green onions, chopped
1/4 c parsley, chopped
1 lb crabmeat, picked over for shells
salt, pepper and Creole seasoning to taste
1-1/2 cups seasoned Italian bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 375.
Boil mirlitons until fork tender. (Can be done 1 day in advance).
Remove mirlitons and let cool
Using a spoon, remove the large seeds and scoop out flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch around.
Chop flesh and set shells cut sides down on paper towels to remove excess moisture.
Saute the garlic, onion, bell pepper, celery, green onions, and parsley in olive oil over medium heat until vegetables are softened and aromatic.
Add mirliton flesh and cook until most of the moisture is evaporated.
Remove from heat and fold in crab.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.
Season mirliton shells with Creole seasoing.
Stuff mirliton shells with crab mixture.
Place mirlitons on a baking sheet and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Bake until golden brown and heated through.
So who else has recipes or suggestions for chayote/mirliton/SuSu/chow chow/christophene/etc.?
Wikipedia article of unsubstantiated accuracy, but interesting
This was a vegetable I knew from childhood as mirliton. In Louisiana, they were ready for picking from the vines in autumn. It was mostly a home garden vegetable. Much later, as Mexican food became known in the US, people learned about chayotes -- same vegetable, different name -- and they were sometimes to be found in US supermarkets.
Even though I live in Mexico, I still cook the mirliton/chayote the ways I always have. However one Mexican way with it is quite good -- creamed soup. This has so many variations, it doesn't need a recipe, nor even cream every time. It's a home-style soup, so use all chayote or combine with other vegetables; cook, season, blenderize in the cooking water or chicken stock & add cream or not.
Raw, peeled chayote is good shredded into slaw.
Steamed mirliton is good simply dressed w/olive oil, salt & pepper.
I love to use it as a substitute for snow peas in stir fry: peel, cut the long way, then slice horizontally. It will look & taste a great deal like snow peas.
Please could I ask you for your Louisiana recipe for Chayotes/Su - Su marrows? Could you post it in the recipe section - thanks. Here we peel, slice, boil, cover with a white sauce and bake for a little longer or not bother, just serve.
Tod, the following recipe is lifted whole from this page, but it could have come from my grandmother's kitchen or any kitchen in Louisiana. You can also make it (authentically) with shrimp or ground beef.
CRAB-STUFFED MIRLITON
2 tsp olive oil
4 mirlitons, sliced lengthwise
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c onions, chopped
1 c red bell pepper, chopped
1 c celery, chopped
1/2 c green onions, chopped
1/4 c parsley, chopped
1 lb crabmeat, picked over for shells
salt, pepper and Creole seasoning to taste
1-1/2 cups seasoned Italian bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 375.
Boil mirlitons until fork tender. (Can be done 1 day in advance).
Remove mirlitons and let cool
Using a spoon, remove the large seeds and scoop out flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch around.
Chop flesh and set shells cut sides down on paper towels to remove excess moisture.
Saute the garlic, onion, bell pepper, celery, green onions, and parsley in olive oil over medium heat until vegetables are softened and aromatic.
Add mirliton flesh and cook until most of the moisture is evaporated.
Remove from heat and fold in crab.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.
Season mirliton shells with Creole seasoing.
Stuff mirliton shells with crab mixture.
Place mirlitons on a baking sheet and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Bake until golden brown and heated through.
So who else has recipes or suggestions for chayote/mirliton/SuSu/chow chow/christophene/etc.?