Frank Davis Stuffed Mirliton Recipes

SHRIMP AND MIRLITON CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the mirlitons and cook until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the heat, drain, and set aside to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, combine the shrimp with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon Bayou Blast in a mixing bowl and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• When the mirlitons are cool, cut them in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, peel, and coarsely chop. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, and jalapeno. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon Bayou Blast and the thyme. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and lightly golden, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the mirlitons and cook, mashing them with a potato masher, until very tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes. Add the shrimp, salt, black pepper, green onions, and parsley. Cook, stirring, until the shrimp turn pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Add the eggs, 1 cup of the bread crumbs, and the pepper sauce. Mix well. Spoon the mixture into a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of bread crumbs. Bake until the topping is lightly browned and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William Morrow, 1993.

SHRIMP STUFFED MIRLITONS

Steps:

• Pour water covering the mirlitons. Add the crab boil. Parboil mirlitons until you can pierce mirlitons with a fork.
• Once mirlitons are done place mirlitons in an ice water bath and let set for 15 minutes or until cool.
• Melt 1/2 stick butter in saucepan and cook shrimp until pink and firm, set aside. Season shrimp with cajun season if you want more spice.
• Saute all the vegetables using remaining 1/2 stick of butter until tender, while the mirlitons are in the ice bath. Place vegetables in a glass bowl and set aside.
• Remove mirlitons from ice bath and carefully slice each mirliton lengthwise.Using a teaspoon, remove seeds.
• Gently scoop all pulp (mirliton meat) out of each shell being careful not to tear the shells and place pulp from mirlitons into a medium size pot.
• Place empty shells onto a cookie sheet.
• Cook pulp from mirlitons on medium heat. Use spoon to chop mirliton pulp and cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid is evaporated. Add veggies, shrimp, and all of your seasoning. Stir well.
• Take saucepan from heat stir in 2 1/2 cups of Italian breadcrumbs. Note- add more breadcrumbs if needed.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Divide mixture into 24 equal portions and stuff into hollowed-out mirliton shells.
• Sprinkle tops with remaining bread crumbs and place on baking sheet and top each mirliton with a pat of butter.
• Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with parsley. Enjoy!

SHRIMP-STUFFED MIRLITON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the mirliton halves cut-side down in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add 1 cup of water, cover tightly with foil and bake until soft, cooked through and easily poked with a fork, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes. (Leave the oven on.) Scoop out the pulp--making sure to leave a 1/4-inch border all around--then chop the pulp and reserve. Discard the water from the baking dish and return the scooped-out mirliton halves cut-side down.
• Meanwhile, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter with the Cajun seasoning in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery, garlic, bell pepper, onion and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and just begin to brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the sausage, hot sauce and tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the sausage is warmed through and the tomatoes start to release their juices, about 3 minutes. Add the crab, shrimp and reserved mirliton pulp and continue cooking until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Microwave the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small microwave-safe dish until melted, about 30 seconds. Add the breadcrumbs and parsley and stir until well combined.
• Turn each mirliton half over so the cut side is facing up. Stuff each with about 1/2 cup of the crab and shrimp mixture--it will seem like a lot, but that's OK. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture and bake until the shrimp are cooked through and the breadcrumbs turn a deep golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with additional hot sauce if desired.