My Recipe for Kabocha Katsu

By Emilio Cross-Songui

Protein:
1 small to medium-sized pumpkin

Marinade:
1 heaping tbsp of white miso
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 vegetable stock cube
2 tbsp oil

Coating:
Panko breadcrumbs
2 egg whites (using just egg whites makes the batter even more crispy)
Flour
Salt
Pepper 

Equipment:
Pan or wok for frying
2 Baking sheets
3 plates for coating
Ziplock bag or container for the marinade

Instructions:

1. Cut open the top of the pumpkin and scrape out all the seeds and insides
2. Once fully cleaned, cut into 4 equal quarters generously cover all sides with oil, then salt and pepper and evenly score the skin with about 2cm between each line
3. Put the pumpkin on a baking tray skin side up and place in a pre-heated oven grill set to over 200°c 
4. Cook for 10 min or until the skin is crispy (please note that we are not trying to cook the pumpkin) then allow to cool
5. With a sharp knife, slowly peel off the skin and cut to the desired size
6. At this point, the pumpkin should be not cooked but slightly pliable if not just cook it for a bit more time
7. Mix the marinade into a paste, cover the pumpkin then place it into a ziplock bag, ensuing there is next to no air inside.
8. Place in between two baking sheets and way down with a heavy object and leave in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight
9. On a plate, mix flour salt and pepper together
10. Remove the pumpkin from the bag and coat in flour
11. On two separate plates, add your egg whites and breadcrumbs
12. Then dip your pumpkin into the egg then the breadcrumbs (use one hand for the wet ingredients and the other for dry)
13. Fill pot or pan with enough oil to cover the pumpkin and preheat to medium-high heat or, if you have an electric stove, have it as hot as possible.
14. Carefully lower the coated pumpkin in the pan and fry until golden (note that we are not trying to cook all the way through but only to achieve the desired colour)
15. Once golden, place on a cooling rack lined with some paper towel and allow to cool down
16. When fully cooled, put in a container or zip lock bag and put in the freezer
17. When ready to eat, place the pumpkin on a baking tray and preheat the oven to 190°c or 180°c with a convection
18. When the oven is fully heated, place the tray in the oven and cook for 50 minutes or until a chopstick can pass through easily 
19. While the pumpkin is cooking finely julienne some cabbage to have on the side and cook some fresh rice
20. Pull the tray out of the oven, let rest for 5 minutes slice
21. In a bowl, add your shredded cabbage and or rice and serve with some tonkatsu sauce

Keep it frozen until you are ready to cook. To make this vegan, simply replace the egg with a vegan alternative.