three bowls

I had seen the chayote or vegetable pears for years in the Southwest or in relation to Mexican cooking. I had no idea that they were also used in Southern cooking, where they’re called mirlitons. 

(I also saw them on a recent trip to an Indian grocery store with Karuna Ram, where we were shooting a grocery store photo essay.  So they are apparently used in Indian cooking as well, and who knows what else? Chayote: They Get Around.)

This was my first time cooking with this particular piece of produce, and I like it in this dish. I don’t know quite how to describe the chayote flavor and texture. It’s like almost the crispness of an apple but with a little bit of the give of a cucumber. It’s got a mild flavor but there is a slight bright tanginess that saves it from being bland.

In this, with the tomatoes, it makes an all-around tangy and satisfying vegetable dish, kind of as if a mild salsa was transformed into an entrée. Nice over rice, but also good as a side.

Mirlitons Etouffees or Smothered Mirlitons, Creole Style

Adapted from Beans, Greens and Sweet Georgia Peaches

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 5 medium mirlitons (aka chayote or vegetable pears), peeled, seeded and diced
• ¼ c EVOO
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 Tbl chopped parsley
• 2 Tbl chopped thyme
• 2 large bay leaf
• 1 c dry white wine
• 1 28-oz can of tomatoes
• 1 Tbl of Cajun seasoning

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large lidded skillet or saucepan. Add the onion and sauté until the onion has lost raw smell and is translucent.
2. Add the mirlitons and garlic, and sauté for about a minute or until the garlic is fragrant.
3. Add the parsley, thyme, bay leaf and wine, and let come to a boil.
4. Add the tomatoes and Cajun seasoning. Stir, and lower heat. Simmer until mirlitons are tender, about a half hour, tasting and adjusting seasoning as you go.