Stuffed Christophine With Crab: Savoury and Delicious

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Just writing those words has brought up many happy memories of sitting at a wooden table on the side of the road, eating sticky ribs with rice ‘n peas and stuffed christophine. We’d come away smelling of barbeque smoke and beer, with full bellies and a contented smile.

I first came across stuffed christophine at the Lolos on the French side of St. Maarten/St. Martin and enjoyed them so much that I went in search of a recipe. I managed to find an old Creole woman who was willing to give me hers.

They are super easy to make and a good way of using a vegetable that many people outside of the tropics don’t know much about. Well, technically christophines are a fruit, but most people treat them as a vegetable.

So What is a Christophine?

They go by many names, depending on where in the world you are eating them: chayote, cho-cho, chow-chow, and chouchoute are just some of the names of this popular heat-loving vegetable.

Christophine or chayote are found mainly in tropical and subtropical parts.

Christophine are of the pumpkin family and grow into quite a large vine, which is best grown up a trellis or fence.

Christophines grow into vigerous vines. — Christophine grow into vigerous vines.

The tropics and subtropics are where you will mainly find christophines, but they can be grown in areas with hot summers too. They will die down in winter, however the tubers stay all cosy underground and sprout up again in spring.

How Else Can Christophines Be Used?

They can be eaten raw in salads, just peel them first. The fruits can be steamed, boiled, mashed, and used in stir-fries. There’s no need to peel them if they are going to be cooked.

If you don’t digest cucumbers very well, then it’s best not to eat christophine raw.

Every part of the plant can be used, from the leaves and fruits right down to the starchy tubers.

When peeling the fruit, rub oil on your hands first as the peel exudes a latex type of sap which can irritate sensitive skin. The oil also stops your fingers from sticking together.

How to Make Stuffed Christophine

Ingredients

2 christophines
Thick slice of bread
1 tbs oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium red pepper, finely chopped
1 cup crabmeat or 100g (3 1/2 oz.) shrimp tails, peeled
A few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 green onion, finely sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter to dot on top

Preparing the christophine.

Steam the unpeeled christophines over a pan of boiling water for around 20 minutes or so. They must be tender, but still slightly crisp. Allow them to cool down enough to handle.

Making the filling.

Cut the christophines in half and scoop out the centres. Leave quite a thick layer for the shell. Discard the large central seed.

Make breadcrumbs with the thick slice of bread and mix that with the scooped out flesh. Fry the onion, garlic, and red pepper until just tender. Toss in the shrimp or crab meat and cook until the seafood is almost done. Add the christophine pulp and herbs. Heat until the seafood is cooked through.

If the mixture is too runny, add some more breadcrumbs.

Check the seasoning.

Baking the christophine.

Pile the filling back into the shells and dot with butter. Place the halves into a greased baking dish. Bake in a medium oven at 180°C (375°F) until the tops are golden brown. It should take about 25 minutes or so.

Stuffed christophine can also be made with shrimp.

Serving baked christophine.

You can present them as an appetiser before a light meal, or you can serve them with rice ‘n peas and salad as a main course. They can be pretty filling, so consider that when serving them as an appetiser.

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