Mirliton Andouille Gulf Shrimp Dressing Recipes

MIRLITON, ANDOUILLE, & GULF SHRIMP DRESSING

Steps:

• Cook unpeeled mirliton in salted water 40 minutes to an hour or until fork tender. Drain and cool, but do not shock with cold water. Peel with vegetable peeler, remove seeds and mash lightly, drain some, but not all liquid that accumulates after mashing.
• In a large soup pan, melt butter and brown andouille. Add onions, celery, peppers, garlic, and herbs. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender.
• Add shrimp, Creole seasoning and chicken stock; cook until shrimp are just cooked. (pink and curled). Remove bay leaves.
• Remove from heat and add mirlitons, then bread, stirring with a wooden spoon until bread is moist but not too wet, adjust seasoning. You may add more bread or stock depending on dryness.
• Grease 3 in deep casserole with butter, add dressing, and cover with foil.
• Bake in preheated 350F oven 50 minutes or til bubbly around edges; remove foil and continue cooking until brown, about 30 minutes.

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.

CAJUN SHRIMP MIRLITON CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Simmer mirlitons in water to cover by 2 inches in an 8-quart pot, partially covered, until very tender, about 1 hour. Drain mirlitons, then halve and peel, discarding pits. Coarsely chop in a food processor.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Cook onions and bell peppers in 6 tablespoons butter in a 6- to 7-quart wide heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add mirlitons and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. (Do not let vegetables brown.) Stir in cracker crumbs, shrimp, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Spoon into a shallow 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and bake in upper third of oven until crumbs are just golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

MIRLITON, ANDOUILLE AND SHRIMP DRESSING

Steps:

• Bring about a gallon of water, with 3 tablespoons of salt, to boil in a large pot. Add mirlitons and cook covered for 30 minutes. When tender, remove to a bowl of ice water. Once cooled, peel, then cut each in half and remove seed. Cut into medium dice and reserve.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Add onions, peppers, celery, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning. Cook for 25 minutes, until vegetables are soft, and butter browns slightly.
• Meanwhile, tear up baguette and grind in food processor with metal blade attachment.
• Add shrimp to vegetables. When shrimp begin to take on color, add ground bread. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, to fully incorporate bread and let it absorb liquid. Remove from heat and add mirlitons, sausage, stock, green onions, and cheese. Stir well and adjust seasoning. Transfer to 9-inch-by-12-inch casserole and top with panko. Bake until warm and crusty, about 30 minutes.

MIRLITON AND SHRIMP DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Rub the mirlitons with oil. Place them on a baking sheet cut side down and bake until they are fork tender and easily peeled, about 45 minutes. Set the mirlitons aside to let rest until they are cool enough to handle, then peel and cut them into 1-inch pieces.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Increase heat to medium-high, add the fresh herbs and shrimp, and stir frequently, until shrimp are just cooked , 3-5 minutes. Stir in the crabmeat. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the diced mirlitons and the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.
• Spoon the dressing into a large buttered baking dish and bake until golden brown, 20-30 minutes.

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.

SHRIMP AND MIRLITON DRESSING

Steps:

• Chop onions, celery, and garlic fine. A food processor can be used.
• Melt butter in a large saute pan until it stops foaming.
• Add the vegetables and saute until softened (5-8 minutes).