Stuffed Mirlitons (Ground Beef or Shrimp)
Ingredients:
- 6 Mirlitons cut in ½ lengthwise
- 1 lb. Lean ground beef or 1 lb. Rouses wild caught Louisiana Shrimp
- 1 large white onion diced finely
- 2 celery stalks diced finely
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic, about 3 cloves
- 1 small green bell pepper finely chopped
- 4 green onions finely chopped
- ¼ cup parsley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ stick butter cut into 6 parts to make a (pat)
- 2 cups Italian bread crumbs divided 11/2 cups for stuffing and ½ cup for topping
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil mirlitons in water for 30 minutes or until fork tender.
Remove from water and let them cool enough to handle.
Scoop out seed and fibrous pulp around the seed. Scoop out pulp using a melon baller. Leave about ¼ of the meat in the shell. Cut pulp up finely and set aside.
In a medium skillet saute onions, celery, garlic and bell pepper in oil for about 5 minutes, until just starting to get soft. Remove mixture and set aside. Fry ground beef in the same skillet for about 5 minutes until all lumps are broken up, do not brown. (Or add 1 lb. shrimp to mixture.) Add cooked vegetables to meat (or shrimp) and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cut mirliton pulp, bread crumbs, beaten egg, salt, pepper, cajun seasoning, green onions, and parsley. Mix completely. Fill each ½ mirliton with ground beef or shrimp stuffing. Sprinkle tops with bread crumbs and top with pat of butter. Bake uncovered on a greased cookie sheet for 45 minutes or until golden brown.