A South Louisiana Classic. Ham and Gulf Shrimp, blended with mirliton, the Trinity, Breadcrumbs, and South Louisiana Seasonings, then baked to a golden brown right in the mirliton shell.
Estimated Time 2 hourshours20 minutesminutes
Servings 12Servings
Here's What You Need
6Mirlitons
4tablespoonsbutter
1cupham (minced) - See Notes
2cupsyellow onions - finely chopped
1cupgreen bell peppers - finely chopped
½cupcelery - finely chopped
5clovesgarlic - finely chopped
1bunchgreen onions - sliced
1cupchicken stock - See Notes
1poundshrimp - See Notes
1 ½cupsseasoned bread crumbs plus some for topping - plus some for topping
Mirlitons: Boil the mirliton in a large stockpot filled with water for about 30 to 45 minutes until soft when probed.
Remove the mirlitons and set aside on a rack to cool.
When cooled, slice each mirliton in half, remove the seed and scrape out the flesh and place it in a strainer set over a bowl. Using a wooden spoon, gently mash the mirliton into small pieces, allowing the excess liquid to drain into the bowl.
Leave the shells for stuffing. Set aside.
Shrimp: If using fresh shrimp, peel, devein and rinse the shrimp. Chop into small pieces and sprinkle with Creole seasoning. Set aside. See Notes
Ham: Trim any excess fat from the ham and grind in a small food processor. Set aside. See Notes
Finely chop all the vegetables and measure the remaining ingredients.
For the Recipe:
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When bubbly, and the Trinity and saute until the onions are becoming translucent, about 8 to 12 minutes. Be careful not to let the onions brown.
When the onions are starting to clear, add the garlic, green onions and about half of the Herb and Spice Blend. Stir to combine and saute for 2 minutes until the garlic is aromatic.
Increase the heat to medium-high. Mix the ground ham into the Trinity mixture and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Next, add the mirliton flesh (discarding the liquid). Mix well and allow the mixture to come to a simmer while you gently mash the mirliton some more. Simmer for about 5 minutes while allowing the liquid to reduce. See Notes.
Add the stock and continue to simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes, reducing the liquid by about half.
Add the chopped and seasoned shrimp and the remainder of the Herb and Spice Blend. Mix well and saute the mixture, stirring often, until the shrimp turn opaque, about 5 minutes.
Remove the Dutch oven from the heat. Add the breadcrumbs (starting with 1 cup) along with the parsley. Thoroughly mix everything, adding more breadcrumbs if needed to reach a sticky consistency for filling.
Allow the mixture to sit, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes
Taste the filling for seasoning and add salt of creole seasoning as needed.
Stuff the filling into the mirliton shells and place them in a prepared baking dish.
Top each stuffed mirliton with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs and a small tab of butter.
Place the baking dish in a preheated 350 degree fahrenheit oven for 30 minutes or until browned on top.
Notes
1 cup of ground ham is approximately 5 ½ ounces of ham, pregrind. If you do not have a grinder or a small food processor, simply chop the ham as fine as you can get it. This is the perfect use for leftover ham, but I do not recommend using leftover Honey Ham as the flavor of the honey ham seasoning can conflict with the savory flavor profile we are creating.There should be approximately 3 cups of mirliton flesh removed from the shells. A little more or less is no problem. Fresh or frozen shrimp work well in this recipe. If using fresh shrimp, remove the heads and shells, then devein the shrimp and rinse them in cold water. Retain the heads and shells for making shrimp stock. If you don’t have time to make the stock, the shrimp shells will freeze well in an airtight vacuum-sealed bag.This recipe is best when made with shrimp stock. If that is not available, chicken stock makes a very good substitute and is what I use most of the time.The mirliton will release a lot of its water while cooking and it's important to the flavor of the recipe to reduce as much of that liquid as possible. The quantity of breadcrumbs you end up adding will depend upon the amount of liquid in the mixture. Don’t be afraid to add more than the cup to cup and a half, but keep in mind that too many breadcrumbs may overtake the flavor profile.Leftovers can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days. Reheat in a microwave.Stuffed mirlitons can be frozen in an airtight container for about 5 or 6 months. You can freeze the stuffed mirliton before or after baking. To freeze, place the stuffed mirlitons on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer. Once the mirlitons are frozen, vacuum seal one to four stuffed mirlitons in a vacuum seal bag. If you do not have a vacuum sealer, pre-freeze the mirlitons, then wrap each one in plastic wrap covered by a layer of aluminum foil. Place the individually wrapped mirlitons in a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat them in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for 30 minutes or until warmed completely through.