292366 Sun Mar 30 10:40:34 -0800 2003 10 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1595498 I've recently discovered this Mexican squash (I hope the spelling is correct) and I like it very much. It's very mild tasting and reminds me of cooked cucumbers. So far, I've only chunked it up and cooked it until tender and buttered it, as I would with other squash. It's a perfect accompaniment for pork with peanut sauce that I make, which is pretty darned spicy. Does anyone have other ways of preparing this vegetable? Sun Mar 30 10:40:34 -0800 2003 0 Pat Hammond 1 1595499 Pat, try the southwest board for ideas as this is a very typical ingredient that I ran across frequently in Arizona. I thing the spelling is Chaiote. Sun Mar 30 10:58:31 -0800 2003 1595498 0 Winemark 2 1595514 Inspired, I went out in miserable weather and bought three more. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. Tonight I plan to stuff one with leftover steak, rice, onions, and whatever else I can find. In my Mexican market the name is spelled chayote. Pat Sun Mar 30 12:59:59 -0800 2003 1595499 0 Pat Hammond 1 1595500 Also known as the merliton, they are terrific stuffed (see my post under leftover lamb, below) Sun Mar 30 10:59:02 -0800 2003 1595498 0 Pat Goldberg 1 1595502 This squash has many names. You can find many recipes that use it at the following links: Just Google under any of the above names and you'll find lots of recipes. Both Epicurious and The Food Network have a bunch of nice ones. I like it stuffed, in salads and in soups. Sun Mar 30 11:15:03 -0800 2003 1595498 0 Nancy Berry 2 1595510 In Cantonese, they're known as Buddha's hands. They're good when peeled, sliced and stir-fried with pork or beef. Sun Mar 30 12:14:28 -0800 2003 1595502 0 susanj 1 1595505 Chayote (chi-OH-teh, with the 'i' pronounced like EYE) is a much-farmed crop in the area of Mexico where I live...it grows on vines, supported about 6 feet above the ground on grape-arbor-ish looking posts and wires. This time of year the chayote fields, squeezed into a narrow strip of land between tall mountains and a lake, look like charmingly frilly pale-green Succoth booths. The pear-shaped chayote dangling under the leaves is young and tender. The squash is eaten in its entirety, including the soft white seed. If you can easily pierce the skin of the chayote with your fingernail, there's no need to peel it. Here's one of my favorite ways to prepare it, for 4-6 servings: 4 medium size young chayotes 1 medium white onion, halved and sliced thin 6 very ripe small Roma tomatoes, chopped 2 or 3 chiles serrano, minced 1 clove garlic, minced fresh oregano (leaves only) to taste small bay leaf coarse salt to taste 1 Tbsp Knorr chicken stock base Water Cut chayotes in length-wise quarters, then in 1/4" slices. Put to boil in a large pot of water until just tender; when ready, the chayotes will be bright spring green. Drain. Sauté the onion, garlic, and chile in a little olive oil until soft. Add the chopped Roma tomatoes and sauté until the tomatoes release some juice. Add the chayote, the herbs, and about 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a simmer. Add the chicken stock base and salt to taste. Allow to simmer just to heat through. Serve. Sun Mar 30 11:42:33 -0800 2003 1595498 0 Cristina 1 1595521 My grandmother used to do them in a white sauce with a little ham and whatever else. She'd cut the chayote into pieces and par boil it then dump it all into a casserole. She learned this one while living in Nicaragua in 1916. Round here they are often called mirlitons--choose one of about ten different pronunciations "mellytawn" MER-litton etc. Classic preparation is to stuff them with shrimp and ham-- boil them, sccop out the center and mash it with the other ingredients and saute for awhile in onion and butter plus seasonings. Bake at proverbial 350 till nice and crisp. Sun Mar 30 13:55:24 -0800 2003 1595498 0 Hazelhurst 2 1595573 I just had some mirliton yesterday -- parboiled, peeled, and cut into chunks to stretch some beautiful crabmeat for au gratin from 2 to 3 people. Delicious. Mirliton is great with seafood. My favorite is to parboil the halves, peel, then fry with a light dusting of flour to achieve a very thin crust. Set on a plate, "scoop" side up, and cover with crawfish etouffee. Heavenly. Blue skies, Catherine Mon Mar 31 11:39:24 -0800 2003 1595521 0 Catherine 1 1595525 If cut into chunks instead of stuffing, mirilitons or chayote are a very suitable substitute for Italian cucuzza or cocuzza (aka zucca or "snake squash" because they can grow very long with a serpentine shape requiring trellis-growth up to 24' high). Another acceptable substitute is Philippine opos, though the flesh is a little sturdier requiring a little longer cooking time and, unless very young (about half the time), I prefer them peeled. Like cucuzza, chayote are great because they hold up well to stewing just long enough for them to "take up" the flavor of whatever the accompanying ingredients happen to be such as a fresh tomato sauce - wonderful with fresh herbs and freshly grated Parmesan on pasta (thanks, Joe Sansone - RIP).....Enjoy. Sun Mar 30 15:11:53 -0800 2003 1595498 0 SBCochran 1 1595527 Many of the Salvadorean and Guatemalan places here in DC serve huisquil (a.k.a. chayote) stuffed with various goodies. It usually covered in a red sauce with a bit of queso duro (an almost feta like cheese) crumbled on top. I've also had husquil in stews (carne guisada), it holds up nicely. I also see Chayote in Vietnamese and Korean groceries...not sure what their take on it is... Sun Mar 30 15:34:22 -0800 2003 1595498 0 butterfly