Recipe - Stuffed Chayote (Creole Style)

8 md Chayote squash (about 6 to 8
ounces each)
3 tablespoon Safflower oil
3 tablespoon Unsalted butter
1 cup Spanish onions; finely
chopped
Three fourths cup Green onion with green;
finely chopped
One half cup Red and/or green bell
pepper; minced
One fourth cup Chopped celery
1 tablespoon Minced garlic
2 md Tomatoes; peel seed chop
One fourth cup Chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Chopped fresh thyme
1 Bay leaf; crumbled
Three fourths pound Raw shrimp; peeled and
deveined and coarsely
chopped
One half pound Crab meat; (about 1 cup)
One half cup Unseasoned breadcrumbs;
coarse
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Ground cayenne pepper
3 tablespoon Unsalted butter; cut into
pieces
Fresh thyme; for garnish

Known in some areas as vegetable pear or christophine, and as mirliton in
Louisiana, delicatetasting chayotes (Sechium edule) are superb when
stuffed New Orleans Creole style. They're also wonderful cut or sliced up , steamed
until crisp tender, and dressed, along with their edible single large seed,
in a mustard vinaigrette. [PATh 12 Oc 96 mcRecipe]

Cut off and discard stem end from each squash and slice the vegetable in
half lengthwise. Remove seeds and use in another dish, if desired. If
necessary, cut a thin slice off the rounded side of each half so it will
sit level.

Place halves on a steamer rack set over simmering water, cover, and steam
until crisptender, about 20 minutes. Remove from steamer and let stand
until cool enough to handle. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh from each
squash half into a bowl, leaving a shell about One fourth inch thick; reserve.

STUFFING: Heat 3 tablespoons each oil and butter in a skillet over
mediumhigh heat. Add the yellow and green onions, sweet pepper, and celery
and saute until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic
and saute 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, reserved squash pulp, parsley,
thyme, and bay leaf and continue to cook until all the vegetables are
almost tender, about 5 minutes longer. Reduce the heat to mediumlow, stir
in the shrimp pieces, and cook until they turn bright pink. Stir in cooked
crab and bread crumbs and season to taste with salt and black and cayenne
peppers.

Mound the stuffing mixture into the reserved squash halves. Dot the tops
with butter and place in a greased baking dish. Bake until the tops are
golden brown, about 25 minutes. Garnish with thyme sprigs and lemon wedges
and serve piping hot.
Recipe By : James McNair's (1989) Squash

Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #243

Date: Sat, 12 Oct 1996 18:54:22 0700 (PDT)

From: patH phannema@wizard.ucr.edu