OPO SQUASH DISH

OK, here goes, my version of an Opo Squash dish with pork mince.

450 g ground pork mince
100 g finely diced white onion
700 g opo squash
5 ml crushed bottled garlic
5 ml sweet chili sauce
25 ml olive oil
100 g grated cheddar cheese
1 xl egg
spices: bbq spice, salt, and freshly ground coriander to taste

Wash the opo and cut it in half lengthwise.
You need to make a long, narrow opening down the middle, like a trough.
Finely dice the onion, and fry it in oil until glossy, approximately 3 – 5 minutes on medium-high heat, but do not brown it.
Add the garlic and fry for another minute until fragrant.
Now add the mince and fry all the ingredients together until the meat is semi-done.
Do not overdo it at this stage, as you will still bake it.
In a separate bowl, add and mix the egg and grated cheese.
Once the meat mixture is done, slowly add it to the egg and cheese mixture and blend all together.
Scoop out the inner soft portion of the opo flesh and add it to the above mixture.
Place the opo in an ovenproof dish, scoop and fill the trough with the meat mixture.
Bake at 350°F (180ºC) for 30 minutes, or until the flesh is soft.
The time will depend on the size and thickness of the flesh of the opo.
Test the flesh to make sure it’s soft and cooked through, after approximately 30 minutes. If not, keep baking.
Approximately 5 minutes prior to being done, sprinkle some extra cheddar cheese over the opo and bake until melted.
Serve immediately
This is enough for 4 servings, depending on size.
I only used half of the opo, and about ½ of the meat mixture to test it out, and we ended up finishing off 2 servings.
I served some of the meat mixture on the side for my husband.
I anticipate doing the other ½ of the opo, but this time I will peel off the skin, slice it up, and then fry it until soft, and add it to the meat mixture.