My friend, LisaMarie, made this specialty dish and let me tried it for the first time and I know right away know I have to learn how to make this.  This dish is called “Rellenos De Guisquil” in El Salvador.  This delicious fried stuffed chayotes with mozarella cheese in a unique flavored Spanish-style tomato sauce is a must try! The following pictorial recipe was made possible thanks to LisaMarie Burford’s late grandmother, Marina Walker, who passed on the family’s recipe down to her.  I made a few adaptations since I did not have the specific tomato sauce and sazon that LisaMarie used.

• Prep time: 1.5 hour
• Cook time: 50 minutes
• Servings: 6
• Note: I tripled the ingredients in this pictorial.

Ingredients: 

• 3 chayotes
• 1 16-oz block Mozzarella cheese*
• 2 8-oz can Goya’s Tomato Sauce*
• 5 cups water*
• 1/2 yellow onion diced
• 1/2 tsp sazon + 1/4 tsp ground cumin + 1/2 tsp coriander*
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 Tbsp salt
• 3 eggs (or more as needed for the batter)
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• vegetable oil for frying

* Notes: LisaMarie uses Goya’s “Spanish-style” Tomato Sauce, 2 packets of Goya’s Sazon with Coriander and Annato, and Italian “Polly-O” Whole Milk Mozzarella Cheese.  I couldn’t find the specific ingredients; therefore, I had to add the ground cumin and coriander.  Omit these two ingredients if using the Goya’s Sazon.  I would use less water (maybe 4 cups instead) next time I make this.

Directions:

1.  Peel chayotes and slice into 1/4-inch thick.  I was only able to cut five slices per chayote.  (The center slice is where the seed is and we don’t use that part, so I cut it up to pickle it later.)  Boil in water until it feels soft when poking it with a fork.  Keeping it on the firm side.  I boiled the chayotes for about 7 minutes this first time.  You don’t want it too soft or it will fall apart when frying. Drain and lay out on paper towels to dry so the water on them doesn’t splatter when you fry it in oil.

2.  In a large pot or deep saucepan, add water, tomato sauce, garlic powder, diced onion, salt, and sazon mixture with coriander and ground cumin. (Remember to omit the coriander and ground cumin if using the Goya’s Sazon with Coriander and Annato.)  Bring the sauce to a boil and lower heat to medium (#6) for 30 minutes.   Then turn off the stove and keep the sauce on the side so you can add the fried chayotes to the pot after frying them.

3.  Slice mozzarella cheese into quarter-inch slices and then slice them in halves so they will fit into each chayote when you sandwich it.

4.  Separate the egg yolks and egg whites in two bowls.  Add cream of tarter to the egg whites.  Whip with a hand mixer until you have firm peaks. (Beat for about about 3-5 minutes.)

5.  Then add the yolks to the meringue (egg whites) and mix through for about 30 seconds.

6.  Now match all similar size chayote slices into pairs and then put one piece of cheese in between to make “sandwiches”.

7.   I used a 3-inch deep saucepan with about 2 inches of vegetable oil for a shallow fry.  Take one “sandwich” at a time time and dip it into the egg white mixture to coat them really thick.  It should look like a huge cloud around the sandwich.  Carefully add the “sandwich” to the frying pan.  I was able to fit three to four of the chayote sandwiches at a time.  Fry each side of the chayote sandwiches to a golden brown (about 1 minute on each side) on medium heat (#6 setting).  Add oil as needed.

8.  When finished frying, put the fried chayote sandwiches into the tomato sauce pan and simmer for 15 minutes.  Serve over rice.  Enjoy!    Thank you LisaMarie for teaching me how to make this.