Preparation
- Pumpkin: 500 g
- Breadcrumbs: 100 g
- Parmesan cheese for grating: 100 g
- Smoked scamorza cheese: 50 g
- Eggs: 1
- Sage: to taste
- Il Cavallino Tradizionale extra virgin olive oil: 10g
- Fine salt: to taste
- Black pepper: to taste
For breading
To make the pumpkin croquettes, start by preparing the fruit (we chose the violin variety, but other types like delica are also suitable): cut it in half and remove the skin, then slice it into 5 mm thick pieces. The goal is to obtain half a kilo of pulp. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, season them with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt, then bake at 200°C in a conventional oven for half an hour.
Meanwhile, finely chop the sage leaves and dice the smoked scamorza cheese. Once the pumpkin is cooked, remove it from the oven and transfer it to a bowl.
Mash the pumpkin using a fork, then incorporate the breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese.
Add the egg and chopped sage. Mix everything with your hands to combine the ingredients well, then adjust the pepper to your liking.
With the obtained mixture, form balls of about 40 grams each, inserting some cubes of smoked scamorza cheese in the center. Close the croquette to enclose the cheese inside and shape it with your hands to give it a spherical form. Proceed in the same way with the remaining mixture; you'll get about 16 croquettes with these quantities.
At this point, heat the frying oil to 170°C (it's advisable to measure with a kitchen thermometer) and roll each croquette in breadcrumbs.
Immerse them in the hot oil for about two minutes, allowing the cheese inside to melt. Remember to fry a few croquettes at a time to prevent the oil temperature from dropping too much. When they are golden brown, drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Your pumpkin croquettes are ready to be enjoyed while still hot and stringy!
