Cajun Mirliton Casserole
Mirli WHAT? Okay, how about a chayote? Or perhaps a cactus pear? Call it whatever you want, but if you haven’t eaten one, you’re missing out. Depending on where you live, you will either call a mirliton or a chayote for the most part.
If you live in Louisiana, you will call it a mirliton (pronounced mel-e-tawn). If you live in Mexico or Texas, you will call it a chayote (pronounced chai-ow-tay). If you read my post on Sweet Potato Souffle, you will see I mentioned being introduced to a mirliton casserole years ago for Thanksgiving.
My friend from high school’s mom made a Mirliton Casserole every Holiday. The casserole was made with mirliton, shrimp, and ham and was the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving. I was later able to get the recipe from her and this dish has been a staple at every Thanksgiving table since.
The mirliton (or chayote) is a squash-like gourd about the size of a pear. So what does it taste like? To me, it tastes like if a zucchini and a squash had a baby. The mirliton pairs well with the saltiness of the ham and the sweetness of the shrimp. her book, Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table, author Sara Roahen writes:
“A raw mirliton crunches like a potato; it tastes like very green cucumber, and a little like zucchini. Sautéed, it tastes like starchy apples; boiled and fried, its translucent green flesh suggests what a honeydew melon would look, feel, and taste like if honeydew melon were a vegetable.”
— Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table
MIRLITON, CHAYOTE—IT’S ALL GOOD
Some say the mirliton was brought from Haiti during the 1791-1804 revolution. Others point out that it made its way to New Orleans in the mid-1700s, around the same time France transferred Louisiana to Spain. It’s been a fixture on Louisian’s Thanksgiving table—cooked stuffed or in a casserole.
Creole cooks love to stuff anything, and as soon as they saw the mirliton, they knew scooping out the flesh and mixing it with rice, breadcrumbs, and meat and baking it would make for a great dish.
You can also boil the mirliton, scoop out the flesh, and add a protein of your choice to make a casserole. I have made these both ways—stuffed and in a casserole and both are great.
The Recipe
Make Ahead
This Mirliton Casserole can be made ahead and frozen until you bake. Add the mixture to your baking dish. When you are ready to bake, add bread crumbs and butter on top and bake as usual. I make this two weeks before Thanksgiving and it comes out perfectly.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
- 2 tablespoons liquid crab boil
- 5 pounds (7-8) mirliton
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 pound bone-in ham steak*
- 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled, deveined and roughly chopped
- 3/4 cups (1 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 cups onions, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, and more to taste
- 2 teaspoons Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
- 1 cup bread crumbs, and more if needed
Step 1:
Heat the oven to 350°. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to boil and add in your mirliton. Add 2 tablespoons of liquid crab boil. Cook for 45 minutes until you can pierce it with a fork. Drain under cool water and set aside. When mirlitons are cooled to the touch, use a spoon and scoop the flesh out. Discard the shell and seed. Chop the flesh into small pieces and place in a colander to drain as mirlitons are high in water.
Step 2:
Dice your hams into 1/2-inch cubes. Peel and devein your shrimp and roughly chop. Prepare The Trinity—onions celery, and bell pepper by chopping all three. Mince 4 cloves of garlic (doesn’t hurt to add more).
Step 3:
In a large Dutch oven, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook your ham for 2-3 minutes. Scoop out and set aside on a plate. In the same pan, add 1 stick of butter over high heat. When the butter is melted, add in The Trinity, your onions, celery, and bell pepper. Add in your garlic.
Step 4
Add in your mirliton. Add in the bay leaf, green onions, parsley, chopped shrimp, and ham. Mix to combine. Add in Kosher salt and Tony’s Chachere’s. Add in the bread crumb and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning. The ham will have a high salt content already so be careful how much salt you add.
Step 5
You are looking for a cookie dough consistency. If it is too much liquid, add more bread crumbs. Add the mixture to your prepared baking dish. Discard the bay leaf. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and dot with the remaining half stick of butter.
Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Notes:
*you can substitute smoked sausage for the ham
Mirliton Casserole
Ingredients
2 tablespoon liquid crab boil
5 pounds (about 7-8) mirliton
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pounds bone-in ham steak
1 1/2 pounds of shrimp, peeled and deveined, and roughly chopped
3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup flat-leafed parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, and more to taste
2 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
1 cup bread crumbs, more if needed
Instructions
Heat the oven to 350°. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of liquid crab boil. Add in the mirliton and cook for 45 minutes until for tender.
Drain and run under cold water. Scoop the flesh out with a spoon. Discard the seed and skin. Chop the flesh into small pieces and put in a colander to drain. Set aside.
In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil over high heat. Add the cubed ham and cook for 2-3 minutes. Transfer the ham to a plate.
In the same pan, melt 1 stick of unsalted butter. Add in your onions, celery, and bell peppers. Stir to combine. Add in garlic. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 5-6 minutes.
Add in the mirliton and break up the flesh with a wooden spoon. Add in the bay leaf, green onions, parsley, chopped shrimp, and ham.
Add Kosher salt and Tony Chachere’s. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Add in bread crumbs and mix to combine. You are looking for a cookie dough consistency so add more bread crumbs if needed.
Discard the bay leaf and transfer it to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top with more bread crumbs and dot with the remaining 1/2 stick of butter.
Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown.
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Nutrition Facts
Calories
554.79
Fat
33.78 g
Sat. Fat
17.63 g
Carbs
21.81 g
Fiber
2.86 g
Net carbs
18.94 g
Sugar
4.44 g
Protein
42.55 g
Sodium
1168.04 mg
Cholesterol
327.88 mg
