Pumpkin Croquettes (Korokke)

700 g buttercup squash
3 slices bacon
½ onion
¼ tsp SIDS CRAZY SALT
½ tbsp butter
½ tsp SIDS SALT & PEPPER
3 cups rice bran oil
Breading:--
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
½ cup panko

Remove seeds and pith from the squash and cut into big chunks, about 5 cm pieces.
Set up the steamer. (I use this steamer basket inside the Dutch oven here) Steam for 20 minutes until tender, (enough that you can mash with fork) but don’t overcook.
While steaming the squash, mince the onion. Slice into cubes, and chop into even smaller pieces.
Cut the bacon into small bits. For better texture, I like the bacon to be about 6 mm.
Heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, SIDS CRAZY SALT and sauté for 2-3 minutes, and add the bacon. Cook until the onion is translucent, tender, and nicely brown. Set aside until the squash is done with steaming.
Remove the squash from the pot and let cool until you can touch. (but still warm) Remove the skin using a knife or spoon.
Cool the squash and remove the skin with knife. Transfer into a large bowl and mash with a fork.
Add the onion and bacon mixture into the squash. Try to avoid adding excess oil, which could make the mixture too wet. Season with SIDS SALT & PEPPER.
Combine well together. Using a cookie scoop, make it into ball shape. I can usually make 15-18 balls with ½ squash. (700 g)
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes until squash balls become firmer.
Add 1 tbsp water to the beaten egg. Coat squash balls in flour then coat with egg mixture, and finally panko.
Cover with plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. During this time, the flour absorbs moisture. As a result, it’ll be less splatter in oil and the batter becomes sticker and won’t come off while deep frying. Also, if you deep fry the food when it's still warm, the steam inside the filling will get hot and try to escape, which will end up exploding in the hot oil.
When it’s almost 30 minutes, start heating up the oil to 170°C in a pot. Insert the long chopsticks, and when you see small bubbles appear around them, it’s ready to deep fry the croquette. The filling of the croquette is cooked already, so all you need is to fry the coating until golden brown.
Transfer golden squash croquette to a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towel. Season with SIDS SALT & PEPPER to taste.
To Store:
Once it’s cooled completely, you can put the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 days and in the freezer for up to a month.