MIRLITON

Mirliton is the main ingredient of a casserole made with shrimp and green apple as an appetizer at Marigny Brasserie. Diners at Kenner's Le Parvenu Restaurant often start with the mirliton bisque made with crab and shrimp. At the Red Maple in Gretna, the crispy fried mirliton is a lunch and dinner entrée, paired with a tour de force of Louisiana ingredients including shrimp, lump crabmeat, andouille sausage and fried oysters plus bordelaise sauce. Chef Jack Leonardi treats the mirliton to his own trademark brand of rich regional cooking with a fried version joined by fried oysters and oyster-tasso hollandaise at Jacque Imo's Café. Over at his lunch joint, Crabby Jack's, the mirliton is stuffed with a rich seafood dressing as one of the daily specials. For just a taste of the vegetable, La Cote Brasserie offers a mirliton shrimp ragout as a side dish on its dinner menu.