Seasonal ingredient mirliton is all the rage this time of year in Louisiana!
My mirliton has been par-boiled, cooled and ready to peel for my stuffing.
Mirliton
The first time I tasted mirliton was at the NOLA restaurant Jacques Imo’s many years ago. It was in a side dish called Maque Choux. This classic Cajun recipe is always made from corn, and peppers sautéed in bacon grease until softened and spiced with a blend of Cajun seasonings. But the dish I had included the seasonal ingredient mirliton and it was yummy.
Seasonal ingredient
So, since we were living in New Orleans for 6 weeks, and it was mirliton season, I felt compelled to test it out in a couple different ways. And because this was their season you could buy 8 of them for one dollar. Now that’s a bargain.
Mirliton facts
I want to give you some facts about mirliton so you can be well informed. This vegetable, which is in the squash family, grows on a vine which deftly wraps along chain-link fences and backyard arbors becoming the favorite local squashy simply always hanging around on the vine. It has rigid to knobby fluorescent green skin and thick pear shaped body. And somehow it has wrapped itself around the hearts of South Louisiana for generations.
This same vegetable is also known as chayote in Mexico and Central America. The term mirliton seems to be unique to South Louisiana and Haiti. Sadly, after Katrina, it is not as common as it used to be to see the mirliton vines climbing willy-nilly across New Orleans.
Usually treated as you would a root vegetable, mirliton adds a starchiness and mild flavor to dishes. It has a mild flavor that takes on the taste of the other ingredients in a recipe. It is very easy to prepare once you know the basics.
Mirliton preparation
After peeling the mirliton I cut off the very top and bottom and slice in half lengthwise
Before you can use the seasonal ingredient mirliton it needs to be boiled, peeled and deseeded. My pasta pot, which has a draining insert, worked best to par cook mine. I placed all 8 in the pot and covered them with plenty of water along with 3-4 tablespoons of kosher salt. I set the pot over high heat and brought them to a boil. Once the water was boiling I let them cook for about 45 minutes to an hour, until they were tender when pierced with a knife but still had a little resistance. At that point I removed them from the water and let them cool until I could handle them.
After cutting the mirliton in half scoop out the flat round seed and discard
The next step was to peel them, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the round seed. At that point you could either continue with your recipe or put them in a zip lock bag and refrigerate for a few days until you’re ready to use them. I would not suggest freezing them or keeping them for more that 5-7 days.
Many uses for this seasonal ingredient mirliton
Slice the mirliton into 1/2-inch thick slices
Mirliton cut into 1/2-inch dice.
Seasonal Ingredient Mirliton added to my sausage, mushroom and bread stuffing mixture
I have used mine a couple of different ways. The first was diced, in my Thanksgiving stuffing instead of the celery that I normally use. The second was in maque choux. But there are endless preparations for this delicious gourd. Once you have done the initial prep, you could hollow out a well and stuff them with a shrimp, mushrooms or sausage. They could be used chilled and sliced thinly in a salad. You could use them in corn muffins.
Thanksgiving Dinner with Mirliton Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing
Let your imagination inspire you to try different ways to use this unique seasonal ingredient mirliton!
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