Shrimp-Stuffed Mirlitons
You may have seen them at the grocery store alongside the bins of your favorite winter squash. Unless you are from Louisiana, you probably gave these unusual looking gourds, labeled “mirlitons” or “chayotes,” a quizzical look and walked on to the more familiar offerings such as acorn, spaghetti, and butternut squash. It’s time to give this green, wrinkly, pear-shaped squash a second look. The texture and crunch of a mirliton (there is actually a festival in New Orleans dedicated to the mirliton) has been compared to those of an apple, but with a cucumber-like flavor. You can pickle them, fry them, stuff them with seafood, or slice and dice them into salads. Delicious mirlitons are available in the fall months and deserve a spot on your Thanksgiving table alongside the other family favorite side dishes. If you can’t find them at your favorite grocery store, check out any Asian, Caribbean, or Latin American market. When choosing, a mirliton should feel very firm and heavy for their size and be free of blemishes. Refrigerate mirlitons in a plastic bag for up to a month.