Mirliton Soup Recipes

MIRLITON

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add mirliton, and boil until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain, cool, and peel. Cut in half, remove seeds, and cut into cubes.
• When the mirliton are almost done, bring another pot of water to a boil. Add shrimp, and cook for about 5 minutes, until pink. Drain shrimp, reserving the water for later. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry onion and garlic in the oil until soft. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Add the shrimp, ham, and cubed mirliton. Beat the egg in a small dish with a tablespoon of the water from the shrimp; pour into the baking dish. Mix in the bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper until evenly blended. If it seems a little dry, add a little more water from the shrimp. You have the choice to freeze, refrigerate, or bake at this point. Sprinkle some more breadcrumbs on top if desired.
• Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown on top.

CHAYOTE SOUP

Steps:

• Cook scallions, garlic, and chile in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chayotes, salt, and 1 tablespoon cilantro and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add water and simmer, covered, until chayotes are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Stir in remaining tablespoon cilantro and purée soup in 2 batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Season with salt.

CRAWFISH MIRLITON (CHAYOTE) SOUP

Steps:

• Stir dried herbs into broth and set aside.
• Saute crawfish tails in butter until warm and cooked through.
• Drain butter and crawfish juice into a pot. Set crawfish aside for later.
• Add onions, garlic, cayenne, and crab boil to butter and cook over low heat until onions are soft.
• Add mirliton and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Pour broth into pot, cover, and simmer over low heat. 25 minutes for peeled mirliton, and 30 for unpeeled.
• Use a food processor or blender to puree soup.
• Return soup to low heat, and gradually add in crawfish tails. Stir until tails are brought up to the soup's temperature.