Recipe for kabocha croquettes

Instructions

1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Cut the kabocha into 2-3 cm cubes. Plunge into boiling water and cook for 5 minutes over medium-high heat, until tender. Drain and crush in a suribachi (mortar) while still hot.
2. Heat ½ tablespoon rapeseed oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté onion for 2 minutes, until tender. Add salt, black pepper and a tablespoon of flour. Cook for 30 seconds over low heat. Add kabocha purée and stir until well incorporated. Allow to cool, then stir in ham and cheese.
3. Prepare three soup plates. Put the remaining flour in one of the plates, the beaten egg in the second and the panko in the last. Shape the kabocha purée into 12 oval dumplings. First coat with flour (shake off excess), then dip in egg and roll in panko.
4. Pour 8 cm of oil into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Fry the croquettes in batches for 3 minutes, until the oil has almost stopped bubbling and the croquettes are golden-brown. Adjust the heat if they brown too quickly. Drain on paper towels.
5. In a separate frying pan, heat the remaining rapeseed oil over medium-high heat and sauté the pimans for 1 minute, until the skin blisters a little.
6. Arrange the croquettes on a serving platter, sprinkle the pimans on top and serve piping hot.