Tales of a Jersey Girl O-Yome-San

Kabocha korokke (pumpkin croquettes)
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Vegetarian recipes from recently released cookbooks:
"Let's Cook Japanese Food!" by Amy Kaneko (Chronicle Books, 2007)

Westfield native Amy Kaneko married a Japanese man -- and married into a cuisine she had never tasted, let alone cooked. After living in Japan and learning the ropes from her in-laws, she presents a book of Japanese home cooking that goes far beyond sushi and tempura. Many recipes that could be vegetarian are presented with meat ingredients, but a handful of veggie selections are available.

-- Evelyn Shih

* Kabocha korokke (pumpkin croquettes)

* ½ kabocha pumpkin, seeds removed and cut into 1- to-2-inch chunks
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* ½ yellow onion, minced
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
* Salt, to taste
* ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 large egg, beat until well blended
* 1 to 2 cups panko bread crumbs for frying
* Canola or other neutral-flavored oil for deep-frying
* Tonkatsu sauce for serving (available in specialty stores)

Photo courtesy of att-japan.net.

#In a saucepan, cover the kabocha with water. Place over medium heat, bring to a simmer and cover. Cook until the flesh and skin are soft, 15 to 20 minutes.

While the pumpkin is cooking, in a small frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter is foaming, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

When the pumpkin is ready, drain well. Remove any brown spots on the green skin. Transfer the pumpkin to a large bowl and, using a potato masher or the back of a fork, mash until fairly smooth. Add the onion, soy sauce, mayonnaise, salt and pepper; mix well. Let the mixture cool.

Place the flour, egg and 1 cup of the panko in three separate bowls. Dampen your hands with water and form the pumpkin mixture into about 20 golf-sized balls. One at a time, gently dust the croquettes with flour, shaking off the excess; coat with egg; then coat with panko, lightly pressing the panko into place before setting croquettes on a plate.

Pour the oil to a depth of 3 inches into a deep, wide saucepan and heat to 350 degrees. Working in batches, drop the croquettes into the oil one at a time and fry until medium brown, about 4 minutes. Using tongs or chopsticks, remove the croquettes from the oil and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with tonkatsu sauce.

Servings: 4 to 6 as an appetizer; 2 as main course.

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