Southern-Style Fried Oyster Mushrooms

This vegan twist on buttermilk fried chicken makes for a delicious dinner with a satisfying crunch. The oyster mushrooms are the stars of the show, with their exquisite texture and subtly savory taste. They can be enjoyed on their own like chicken fingers, but they’re also great in a sandwich! (Photo source: Miya Lohmeier)

Adapted from RI Mushroom Co

| Yield: 2 servings | Time: 50 minutes |

Ingredients

½ lb oyster mushrooms (blue or golden)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

¼ teaspoon ancho chili powder

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon thyme

½ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup soy milk

vegetable oil (for frying)

Preparation

Rinse mushrooms. Once mostly dry, break them up into medium clusters, slicing away any hard parts of the stems. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Transfer about half of the dry mixture to another bowl, and whisk in soy milk until smooth.

Dip mushroom clusters into the soy milk batter, so they’re thoroughly covered. Allow excess batter to drip off before coating the mushrooms in the dry mixture. Shake off excess flour.

If using an air fryer, place a few mushrooms in the basket at a time and fry at 375 degrees for 5 minutes. Brush oil onto mushrooms, flip, and brush the other side. Resume frying for about 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining mushrooms.

If frying in oil, pour at least 3 inches of vegetable oil in a saucepan and heat to 350 degrees. Carefully place a few mushrooms in the oil and fry for 2-3 minutes, until the batter is crispy and brown. Flip, and fry for another 1-2 minutes before removing, placing finished mushrooms on a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining mushrooms.

Enjoy with your choice of condiments.

Zero-waste tips

Be sure to compost all of your unused mushroom bits! Mushroom spawn does a great job of speeding up decomposition in your pile, and provides nutrients like potassium.