Reunion Island

Gratin of Chayote

rating :

temps de préparation :

40 minutes

temps de cuisson :

30 minutes

Ingredients :

(for 4 personnes)
- 2 chayotes
- 2 big or 5 small onions
- 8 to 10 cloves of garlic
- “kaloupilé” leaves
- “Combava” leaves
- 1 piece of 15cm boucané
- Salt


Bechamel sauce:
- 50g butter
- 50g flour
- ½ L milk
- Salt and Pepper
- Grated gruyère and breadcrumbs

Method :

Peel the chayote in warm water.
Cut the chayote in half, scoop out and discard the seed, and dice the flesh.
Brown the thinly sliced onions in a pan.
Meanwhile, crushed the garlic, “kaloupilé” and “combava” leaves with salt and add this mixture to the onions.
Stir and simmer.
Then, add the chayote to the mixture, stir and add a small glass of water.
Simmer over a gentle heat.
Meanwhile, thinly sliced the boucané and boil in water for 20 minutes.
Then, heat the oil and fry the boucané.
Set aside.
Bechamel Sauce:
Melt the butter in a high-sided frying pan. Stir in the flour to get a smooth, glossy paste.
Add the milk all at once and stir until the sauce thickens. Taste and season with salt, pepper or other spices of your choice (for ex, nutmeg). If you wish to keep the sauce warm, all you have to do is pour it into a warmed jug and cover the surface with clingfilm to stop a skin from forming, then place the jug in a pan of barely simmering water.
Add the boucané when the chayote has absorbed most of the water and stir.
Pour the mixture into a gratin dish, spread the bechamel sauce on top and sprinkle with grated gruyere and breadcrumbs.
Cook in a pre heated oven of (180/210°C) for 30 minutes.

Runweb tip :

Peel the chayote in warm water as it is sticky.