Stuffed Mirlitons, Creole-Style

By davidgoodman

Ingredients

• 7 mirlitons or vegetable pears, about 3/4 lb. each
• salt to taste, if desired
• 1 c. unsalted butter or margarine
• 3 tbsp. plus 5 tsp. spice mixture
• 3/4 c. finely chopped onions
• 1 c. finely chopped celery
• 1/2 c. finely chopped green pepper
• 1 c. fish stock
• 2 1/2 c. bread crumbs made from toasted bread
• 1 c. flour, for dredging
• 24 medium-size shrimp, about 3/4 lb., peeled and deveined
• 1/2 lb. crab meat, preferably lump
• oil for deep frying
• 1 1/2 c. milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Put the unpeeled mirlitons in a kettle and add water to cover and salt to taste, if desired. Bring to a boil and cook about 45 minutes or until the flesh is tender when pierced with a fork. Drain. When the mirlitons are cool, peel and cut them in half. Remove the inner pit or pit coating. Reserve six of the halves for stuffing. Cut the remaining halves into one-half-inch cubes. There should be about four cups. Heat one-half cup of the butter in a skillet and add the cubed pieces. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Sprinkle with salt; if desired, and add one tablespoon of the spice mixture. Add the onions, celery, green pepper and one-quarter cup butter. Cook, stirring often, about five minutes and sprinkle with one teaspoon of spice mixture. Add the fish stock and continue cooking over moderately high heat, stirring often, about 30 minutes. When ready, the mixture will be sticking to the bottom of the skillet and will be well browned. Add half of the bread crumbs and stir to blend, mashing down. Blend the flour with one tablespoon of spice mixture. Blend the remaining bread crumbs with one tablespoon plus two teaspoons of spice mixture. Set aside. Add the raw shrimp and crab to the mirliton in the skillet and sprinkle with one teaspoon of spice mixture. Cook, stirring gently and often, until the shrimp lose their raw look. Stir in the remaining one-quarter cup of butter. Heat the oil to 380 degrees. Combine the milk and eggs and remaining one teaspoon of spice mixture. Blend well. Dip the mirliton halves in the flour mixture and shake off excess. Dip the flour coated halves in the milk mixture to coat thoroughly. Drain off excess. Dip the halves in the bread-crumb mixture to coat well. Drop the halves, a few at a time, into the hot oil and cook until nicely browned and crisp, about three to four minutes. Drain on absorbent toweling. Continue until all the halves are fried. Fill each hot mirliton half with an equal portion of the shrimp filling, piling it up. If desired, you may pick out the shrimp and arrange them neatly over the top. Serve immediately.