Makes 14 stuffed mirlitons.
YouTube instructional video is at the bottom.
What you’ll need
4 or 5 pounds large or medium-sized mirlitons
1 1/2 pounds fresh Louisiana shrimp
1/2-pound lump or claw crabmeat
2/3 or 3/4 cup Diced ham.
Salted or unsalted butter
1 large egg (Room temp)
1 1/4 cups Plain or Italian breadcrumbs
Seasonings
1 yellow onion
Green onion
Celery
Green bell pepper
Garlic
Fresh Parsley
Salt
Black pepper
Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning
Chef Paul’s seafood magic
Granulated onion
Granulated garlic
Tools you’ll need
11 by 17-inch baking pan
Mesh strainer
Preparation of ingredients
Seasonings
Step 1- Chop 1 yellow onion, 3 ounces green onion (Including ends), 2 ribs celery, 1/2 of a green bell pepper, 3 cloves garlic and 1-ounce fresh parsley. Make sure you rinse the celery, green bell pepper and fresh parsley before chopping.
Mirlitons
Step 2- Rinse mirlitons with cold water. Turn mirliton on its side and chop it in half. Remove the seed from the mirliton halves using a spoon. Discard the seeds.
Shrimp
Step 3- Remove the head and shells from the shrimp’s tail and place into one bowl and place the shrimp tails into a separate bowl.
Step 4- Carefully cut out the back of each shrimp tail using a sharp serrated knife and remove the contents of the shrimp digestive tract.
Step 5- Cut each shrimp tail in half. Add shrimp tails into a strainer and rinse with cold water.
Making the shrimp stock
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 6- Add 1 1/2 quarts water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning, 1 teaspoon chef Paul’s seafood magic, and shrimp heads and shells. Stir all ingredients together. Let simmer for 45 minutes.
Step 7- Pour the shrimp stock into a mesh strainer with a medium-sized bowl underneath it. Remove the mesh strainer from the bowl and shake to allow the stock to drain into the medium-sized bowl. Discard the shrimp heads and shells. Once done you should have 2 cups shrimp stock left over.
Parboiling the mirlitons
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 8- Add 4 quarts (1 gallon) water into a large 8-quart pot and let come to a simmer. Add mirliton halves and cover pot with a lid. Let simmer for 45 minutes. If you can insert a fork easily into the mirliton halves, they are done. Place them on to an 11 by 17-inch baking pan and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
Mirliton shells
Step 9- Carefully dig or scrape out the insides of each mirliton half with a spoon without damaging the outer skin of the mirliton. Take the insides of each mirliton half and add it into a medium-sized bowl. Take the mirliton shells and place them on to an 11 by 17-inch baking pan.
Mirliton filling
Step 10- Mash the mirliton filling with a large sturdy spoon or a potato masher. Add the mashed mirliton filling into a mesh strainer with a medium-sized bowl underneath it. Stir the filling for 1 minute. Also gently press the filling down into the mesh strainer. As you stir and mash the filling, the juices from the mirliton will drain into the medium-sized bowl. Once done you should have 1-pound of the mirliton filling and 1 3/4 cups mirliton juice. Reserve 1/4 cup of the mirliton juice.
Making the mirliton dressing
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 11- Add 4 tablespoons cubed salted or unsalted butter, 2/3 cup chopped yellow onion, 3 tablespoons chopped green onion ends, 1/8 cup chopped green onion, 1/2 cup chopped celery, and 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper into a large saucepan. Stir all ingredients together and let sauté for 10 to 12 minutes stirring occasionally.
Step 12- Add 1 tablespoon pressed garlic, mirliton filling, 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning, 1 teaspoon chef Paul’s seafood magic, 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion, 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic, and 1 tablespoon fresh parsley. Stir all ingredients together.
Step 13- Add shrimp tails, and 1/2-pound lump or claw crabmeat. Stir all ingredients together and let sauté for 3 minutes stirring occasionally.
Turn your fire off.
Step 14- Add 1 1/4 cups plain or Italian breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup shrimp stock, 1/4 cup mirliton juice and 3/4 cup (4.5 ounces) diced ham. Stir all ingredients together. If you want to add more shrimp stock, mirliton juice, breadcrumbs or additional seasonings, you can add them at this time and stir. Careful not to add too much liquid or breadcrumbs. Cover saucepan with a lid and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 15- Whisk one large egg (Room temp) with a fork and add it into the dressing. Stir all ingredients well until combined and set aside.
Stuffing and baking the mirlitons.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 16- Add mirliton dressing each individual mirliton shell. This should be enough to fill all 14 of the mirliton halves but amounts can vary depending on the size of the mirlitons themselves. Once you fill the mirliton halves place them into an 11 by 17-inch baking pan.
Step 17- Melt 2 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter. Dap the butter on top of each stuffed mirliton using a pastry brush. Lightly sprinkle Italian or plain breadcrumbs on top of each stuffed mirliton.
Step 18- Place into a preheated 350-degree oven on the bottom rack. Bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove the stuffed mirlitons from the oven. Let cool for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving. For best results serve the next day so the flavors can settle and increase overnight.
Browning your mirlitons at the top troubleshoot.
Troubleshoot- If your mirlitons are not brown at the top, set your oven broiler to high. Place the pan of mirlitons into the broiler part for your oven for 3 to 4 minutes. Be sure to check every 30 seconds to 1 minute to ensure the mirlitons don’t burn at the top. You can also turn your oven temperature up from 350 to 425 degrees within 15 minutes of baking time remaining.
YouTube instructional video
