½ kabocha type pumpkin (about 700-800g)

10g unsalted butter

½ tablespoon grapeseed or other light-flavoured oil

1 small onion finely chopped

Pepper

Plain flour for dusting 

1 egg beaten

100g panko breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil for deep frying

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Scoop out the seeds from the pumpkin and cut it into large chunks. Dot each chunk with a little butter and roast for 30 minutes or until cooked. Meanwhile heat the grapeseed oil in a small frying pan and gently fry the onion for 5 minutes or until translucent.

2. When the kabocha is cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. Scoop out the flesh into a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher, adding the onion and some ground pepper. Chill the mixture in the fridge for an hour or so to firm up a little.

3. Place the flour for dusting in one small bowl, the egg in another and spread a tray with the breadcrumbs. With dampened hands form all the pumpkin mixture into small walnut-sized balls and place on a large plate.

4. With one hand drop a ball into the bowl of flour and toss around until it is covered. With the other hand lift it out and place it in the bowl of beaten egg and transfer it to the tray of breadcrumbs. When the tray is half full, wash and dry your hands, toss the balls in the breadcrumbs and transfer to a clean tray. You may need to do all this in a few goes. Return the coated balls to the fridge for 30 minutes.

5. Heat the oil (enough to be about 3cm deep) in a deep pan to about 170°C. Test the temperature by dropping a few breadcrumbs into the oil. They should sink and then bob up to the surface again. Fry the croquettes a few at a time for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and then drain on kitchen paper. Serve the croquettes in individual shallow bowls and drizzle with soy sauce.