Recipe: Kabocha Korokke/Kabocha-Squash Croquettes! ...with cheese (Patreon)

Wow this was so easy. 

I thought I'd put up another recipe while we're waiting for Richard to get his videos made. He's going waaaay deep under the iceberg and I think they're going to pretty great. I do believe he's going to record something for the podcast about what he has planned. So I'll let him do the talking there. 

Until then, kabocha korokke.

Ingredients:

*Half a Japanese kabocha squash

* 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine

*some kind of melty cheese (mozzarella is often used)

*some parmesan cheese shredded (or bottled as the case may be)

*salt and pepper to taste

*a little milk if the kabocha is too thick

*a little flour if the kabocha is too runny

For coating:

*2 eggs

*Flour

*panko

First, wash the kabocha, cut off much of the peel. I usually leave a little on. I like the color and ... fiber? Chope into chunks. 

Photo 1. Chunked kabocha

Second, steam the kabocha or if you don't have a steamer, you can microwave. I put a little water in the bottom of the bowl and covered with a paper towel and microwaved until a chopstick could easily go through the kabocha.

Photo 2. Microwaved/steamed kabocha.

Third, add salt, pepper, and parmesan* to taste, then mash up. It doesn't have to be super pureed. I used a fork and left some little chunks. You can also add a little chopped up parsley (fresh or dried) if you'd like.

*parmesan is my own doing. I don't a single Japanese recipe that would do this. But I like it. Adds a little depth to the koroke, I think. 

If the mash is too thick, add a touch of milk. If it's too runny, add some flour. Put in the fridge while you get ready for frying. Cooking the kabocha mash makes it much easier to handle. In three bowls add the two beaten eggs, some flour and some panko. Get ready at least two big plates. One for pre cooked korokke, one for after fried.

Fourth, divide the mush into even balls, stuffing a hunk of cheese inside the middle of each one. Since I don't fry much usually and when I do it's always shallow frying, I make mine into small flat-ish flying saucer shapes. How do you say that in English? 

Photo 3. The set up after some panko spillage.

Next, you can start to heat up the oil (180 C/   ). 

Coat each one with flour, shaking off the excess. Next, dunk in the beaten egg mixture making sure it gets completely wet (sometimes the egg doesn't like to stick to the flour), and finally while sopping wet, coat with panko. Place on a plate until ready to fry.

Fry until kitsune iro (fox brown), turn and do the other side. Or if you're deep frying, you know what to do. 

Photo 4. Frying three. For some reason I shot this photo before I put them all in. 

Drain on a paper towel or draining tray and you're done! Korokke are often eaten with that thick Bulldog or tonkatsu-style sauce poured over them. Or, since these have melty cheese in them, maybe they didn't need it. 

Photo 6. All fried up. 

Tried to get a cheese pull. 

Notes: You don't have to put cheese in them. None of it. It's probably more 'traditional' without cheese. Although, I think cheese and kabocha go good together personally. 

You can also add ground meat (pork or beef). Cook it first, drain, and cool, then add to the mush when you add the salt and pepper. This is also quite good. 

Super easy, super delicious! Now off to work on the next podcast. It's about food superstitions!