Baked Stuffed Papayas

Papaya as a vessel for savory meat filling is a genuinely great idea, and this Hawaiian-influenced dish is the proof. The combination of tropical sweetness from the papaya against a spiced ground beef filling with jalapeño and tomatoes is far more cohesive than it sounds on paper.

The filling gets cooked down until most of the liquid evaporates before it goes into the papaya halves. That step matters. A watery filling makes the papaya collapse during baking. You want a thick, almost dry filling that holds its shape in the cavity.

The baking method is a partial water bath: hot water poured into the roasting pan to within an inch of the papaya tops. This surrounds the fruit with gentle, even steam heat that softens the papaya slowly without the outside cooking faster than the inside. After 30 minutes, the fruit is tender all the way through and the filling is hot.

Parmesan sprinkled over the top before baking might seem unexpected against the tropical profile, but its saltiness plays well against the papaya’s sweetness.

Kitchen Tips

• Reduce the filling well: Cook until nearly all the liquid is gone before stuffing. Excess moisture makes the papaya collapse.
• Use very hot water in the pan: Cold or warm water slows the oven temperature and extends baking time. Boil it first.
• Ripe but firm papayas: Very ripe papayas will turn mushy after 30 minutes of baking. Choose ones that are ripe but still hold their shape when pressed.
• Drain the canned tomatoes well: Additional liquid in the filling works against you here.

Variations

• Turkey instead of beef: Ground turkey keeps the filling lighter and lets the papaya’s flavor come through more clearly.
• Add black beans: Stir a half cup of rinsed black beans into the filling for a Latin-Caribbean spin and extra texture.