Shrimp-Stuffed Mirliton
- 8 large mirlitons
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup finely diced sweet onion
- ¾ cup finely diced red bell pepper
- ½ cup finely diced celery
- 12 ounces medium fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup plain bread crumbs, divided
- Garnish: fresh thyme
- In a large Dutch oven, bring mirlitons, salt, and enough water to cover to a boil over medium-high heat; cook until tender, about 35 minutes. Remove mirlitons, and let cool enough to handle.
- Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Halve mirlitons lengthwise, discarding seeds. Gently scoop mirliton flesh, leaving a ½-inch border around edges, and place flesh in a medium bowl. Using a potato masher, mash flesh until mostly smooth. Strain mashed flesh through a fine-mesh sieve. Place shells upside down on prepared rack.
- Preheat oven to 300°.
- In a large skillet, melt ⅓ cup butter over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Add shrimp, 3 tablespoons parsley, 1 tablespoon thyme, Creole seasoning, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp are pink and firm, about 7 minutes. Gently fold in mirliton flesh and ¾ cup bread crumbs. Remove from heat.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, place remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Heat on high until melted. Add remaining ¼ cup bread crumbs, remaining 1 tablespoon parsley, and remaining 1 tablespoon thyme, stirring until well combined.
- Place mirliton shells on a large rimmed baking sheet, and gently fill each shell with about ⅓ cup shrimp mixture. Top with bread crumb mixture.
- Bake until bread crumb mixture is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.
Recipe by Louisiana Cookin' at https://louisianacookin.com/shrimp-stuffed-mirliton/
3.5.3251