Wait, why are these in the Asian grocery? Maybe I should buy them.
July 19, 2011 3:54 PM Subscribe
Chayote—I have two—what's the best thing to do with them? I also have lots of zucchini. Compatible? Soup, salad, or casserole. Fav dishes or recipes, please.
I perfer it as a salad -- peeled, sliced thin, blanched. A citrusy vinaigrette. Perhaps a few slices of pickled ginger?
(I know it from the Caribbean where it's called "cho cho" or "cristofene.")
posted by Jode at 4:22 PM on July 19, 2011
(I know it from the Caribbean where it's called "cho cho" or "cristofene.")
posted by Jode at 4:22 PM on July 19, 2011
this zucchini dish is a million times better than it sounds!
slice the zuchs up and simmer them covered in an inch-ish of water with s&p and a little olive oil, for about 20 m. check the water level occasionally and add more water if its getting dry. you do NOT want to brown the zuchs. when they are getting soft, even a little mushy, let the water cook off until they dont need straining.
toss with cooked, drained pasta of your choosing and a heaping bunch of parmesano cheese.
sorry I dont have quantities, its not a 'recipe' per se but a meal our friend from Italy once cooked for us that we've replicated many times to utter satisfaction :)
posted by supermedusa at 5:02 PM on July 19, 2011
slice the zuchs up and simmer them covered in an inch-ish of water with s&p and a little olive oil, for about 20 m. check the water level occasionally and add more water if its getting dry. you do NOT want to brown the zuchs. when they are getting soft, even a little mushy, let the water cook off until they dont need straining.
toss with cooked, drained pasta of your choosing and a heaping bunch of parmesano cheese.
sorry I dont have quantities, its not a 'recipe' per se but a meal our friend from Italy once cooked for us that we've replicated many times to utter satisfaction :)
posted by supermedusa at 5:02 PM on July 19, 2011
In Guatemala you eat them in soup. Chopped peeled chayote, plus some carrots, cabbage and/or potatoes, maybe a little bit of tomato, and a few cubes of beef. If you've got fresh corn on the cob you can add that too — chop the whole cob into a few rounds and add them right to the pot. Stew them up together in chicken broth, and right before serving add lime juice, a little hot sauce if you're into that, and some slices of avocado.
posted by nebulawindphone at 5:18 PM on July 19, 2011
posted by nebulawindphone at 5:18 PM on July 19, 2011
Also, if you're gonna google for recipes, check out this list of names it goes by. There are tons, and you'll get more recipes if you also search for güiskil and mirliton and choko and....
posted by nebulawindphone at 5:23 PM on July 19, 2011
posted by nebulawindphone at 5:23 PM on July 19, 2011
Response by poster: I did check out the Wikipedia page before posting, but when I first did it I didn't notice this.
posted by Toekneesan at 5:29 PM on July 19, 2011
- United States of America: mirliton; slang term: old people lips
posted by Toekneesan at 5:29 PM on July 19, 2011
There are tons of Louisiana recipes involving the humble mirliton.
posted by texano at 6:59 PM on July 19, 2011
posted by texano at 6:59 PM on July 19, 2011
They're widely grown in southern Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand. I don't really remember names off the top of my head. But in Vietnamese I think they're su su, and in Khmer a sub-type of ខ្លូត (roughly, klot or klote).
(I've also got half a feeling people in the south-east of Cambodia might use the Vietnamese name for squash, but render it into roman script as xu. So if you strike out googling su su recipes try xu as well.)
I really like the softer squashes done as a very simple stir fry. In a very hot wok, stir fry an ounce or two of finely sliced three layer pork until browned, sprinkle over a pinch of msg, throw in your squash or chayote, stir fry for just a minute, drizzle over some soy and/or fish sauce, toss a couple of times, then serve with rice.
For a soup, hollow them out, stuff with a mix of (cooked) ground shrimp and pork bound with a little raw egg (maybe also season the mix with a garlic, fish sauce/salt, pepper), and steam over a fairly rich stock until the chayote and filling are done but before the chayote is too soggy. Remove and allow to cool, then very carefully slice across with a (very) sharp knife, and serve the slices laid down in the stock. Garnish with cilantro, mint, chillies, deep fried shallots, lime wedges or whatever else grabs your fancy.
And another simple stir fry. Beat an egg or two with some salt/soy/fish sauce and cracked pepper. Then in a hot wok stir fry a little garlic and your chayote, pour in the egg, scrape and toss frantically so the egg coats the chayote, serve over rice with a squeeze of lime.
posted by Ahab at 9:19 PM on July 19, 2011
(I've also got half a feeling people in the south-east of Cambodia might use the Vietnamese name for squash, but render it into roman script as xu. So if you strike out googling su su recipes try xu as well.)
I really like the softer squashes done as a very simple stir fry. In a very hot wok, stir fry an ounce or two of finely sliced three layer pork until browned, sprinkle over a pinch of msg, throw in your squash or chayote, stir fry for just a minute, drizzle over some soy and/or fish sauce, toss a couple of times, then serve with rice.
For a soup, hollow them out, stuff with a mix of (cooked) ground shrimp and pork bound with a little raw egg (maybe also season the mix with a garlic, fish sauce/salt, pepper), and steam over a fairly rich stock until the chayote and filling are done but before the chayote is too soggy. Remove and allow to cool, then very carefully slice across with a (very) sharp knife, and serve the slices laid down in the stock. Garnish with cilantro, mint, chillies, deep fried shallots, lime wedges or whatever else grabs your fancy.
And another simple stir fry. Beat an egg or two with some salt/soy/fish sauce and cracked pepper. Then in a hot wok stir fry a little garlic and your chayote, pour in the egg, scrape and toss frantically so the egg coats the chayote, serve over rice with a squeeze of lime.
posted by Ahab at 9:19 PM on July 19, 2011
When we've had lots of zucchini we've filled crepes with them.
Grate the zucchini, or slice into matchsticks. Mix with salt, 1/2 teaspoon for each zucchini, in a colander and let drain for half an hour. This draws out some of the moisture. Rinse, pat dry, and saute in olive oil until it starts to brown.
This yogurt sauce from Deborah Madison goes great on top:
Mash in a mortar 1 large garlic clove with 1/2 tsp salt until you get a paste. Measure out 1 tsp and add it to:
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp chopped dill
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper or hot paprika (Or less. I like spicy but I actually use 1/2 tsp.)
salt to taste
When I was in Brazil there was a punk band with a song that was basically a list of insults, with the refrain "Xuxu, for you!" This is now stuck in my head.
posted by hydrophonic at 9:23 PM on July 19, 2011
Grate the zucchini, or slice into matchsticks. Mix with salt, 1/2 teaspoon for each zucchini, in a colander and let drain for half an hour. This draws out some of the moisture. Rinse, pat dry, and saute in olive oil until it starts to brown.
This yogurt sauce from Deborah Madison goes great on top:
Mash in a mortar 1 large garlic clove with 1/2 tsp salt until you get a paste. Measure out 1 tsp and add it to:
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp chopped dill
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper or hot paprika (Or less. I like spicy but I actually use 1/2 tsp.)
salt to taste
When I was in Brazil there was a punk band with a song that was basically a list of insults, with the refrain "Xuxu, for you!" This is now stuck in my head.
posted by hydrophonic at 9:23 PM on July 19, 2011
I love tinolang manok (chicken tinola) and its gingery goodness. My family usually makes it something like this:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 med yellow onion, sliced
1/4 cup ginger, peeled and julienned
salt and pepper, to taste
6-8 cups water
1 pkg chicken wings (8-10 wings)
1 sayote (chayote), peeled and sliced
1 bundle spinach, sliced
patis (fish sauce) for serving
Put vegetable oil in a pot on high heat. Saute onion and ginger until the onion becomes translucent. Add the chicken, salt and pepper to taste, then add the water. Turn heat to medium and cover; simmer 35-40 minutes until chicken is tender. Add sayote; simmer until tender. Add spinach; cover pot and turn off stove. Let sit for 5 minutes until the spinach wilts. Serve with rice and patis to taste.
(I usually throw in two sayotes, as I just really like it in this dish.)
posted by vespertine at 11:48 PM on July 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 med yellow onion, sliced
1/4 cup ginger, peeled and julienned
salt and pepper, to taste
6-8 cups water
1 pkg chicken wings (8-10 wings)
1 sayote (chayote), peeled and sliced
1 bundle spinach, sliced
patis (fish sauce) for serving
Put vegetable oil in a pot on high heat. Saute onion and ginger until the onion becomes translucent. Add the chicken, salt and pepper to taste, then add the water. Turn heat to medium and cover; simmer 35-40 minutes until chicken is tender. Add sayote; simmer until tender. Add spinach; cover pot and turn off stove. Let sit for 5 minutes until the spinach wilts. Serve with rice and patis to taste.
(I usually throw in two sayotes, as I just really like it in this dish.)
posted by vespertine at 11:48 PM on July 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
My favourite thing to do with courgettes/zucchini:
Cut into super-thin ribbons with a potato peeler.
Pop the ribbons in a pan with enough olive oil to cover them, along with a smushed garlic clove & some slices of chilli/dried chilli flakes, maybe a bundle of parsley stalks, possibly an anchovy.
Heat very gently for ten minutes or so - don't let the oil even bubble.
Lift out your ribbons onto kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil, discard all the flavourings that went in the oil.
Pop 'em on a plate and sprinkle some lemon zest on top, some nice sea salt, maybe a wee squeeze of lemon juice.
It's nice hot, but better warm.
posted by jack_mo at 6:28 AM on July 20, 2011
Cut into super-thin ribbons with a potato peeler.
Pop the ribbons in a pan with enough olive oil to cover them, along with a smushed garlic clove & some slices of chilli/dried chilli flakes, maybe a bundle of parsley stalks, possibly an anchovy.
Heat very gently for ten minutes or so - don't let the oil even bubble.
Lift out your ribbons onto kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil, discard all the flavourings that went in the oil.
Pop 'em on a plate and sprinkle some lemon zest on top, some nice sea salt, maybe a wee squeeze of lemon juice.
It's nice hot, but better warm.
posted by jack_mo at 6:28 AM on July 20, 2011
Zucchini slice
My dad was awesome at growing zucchinis. We ate a lot of this growing up.
posted by kjs4 at 6:21 PM on July 20, 2011
My dad was awesome at growing zucchinis. We ate a lot of this growing up.
posted by kjs4 at 6:21 PM on July 20, 2011
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posted by yarly at 4:21 PM on July 19, 2011