Name: Christophenes Farcies
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 3 green onions, minced; 1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened nondairy milk; 2 tablespoons fine bread crumbs; 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour; 2 garlic cloves, pressed; 1 teaspoon liquid smoke; ½ onion, minced; ¼ Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, minced; ½ cup (50 g) bread cubes, preferably whole wheat; ¼ teaspoon white pepper; 2 tablespoons vegan margarine; ¼ teaspoon Angostura bitters, optional; 4 christophenes (chayotes), halved lengthwise and cored (see Island Tips); ⅓ cup (80 ml) boiling water; ⅓ cup (35 g) textured vegetable protein (TVP) granules (see Island Tips); 1 tablespoon vegan margarine; 1 cup (200 g) chopped Holiday “Ham” or smoky vegan sausage; 2 tablespoons grated vegan cheese, optional; pink or sea salt and black pepper; 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Caribbean Vegan

By Taymer Mason

Published 2021

About

I have veganized this French West Indies favorite, which is usually offered as an appetizer. The traditional version typically contains meat, and it also relies on bread soaked in milk. In my version, I use a rich roux added to the bread cubes to create additional depth in the flavor.

Ingredients

4 christophenes (chayotes), halved lengthwise and cored (see Island Tips)

Method

Lightly salt the cavities of the christophenes. Steam them for 30 minutes, until the flesh is tender, replenishing the water if necessary. Remove the christophenes from the steamer to speed cooling.
To make the filling, first pour the boiling water over the TVP, stir, and cover. Let the TVP hydrate for 5 to 10 minutes. If any liquid remains, drain it off. H