Cornmeal-Crusted Popcorn 'Shrooms
Take popcorn shrimp, but make it mushroom! This fun play on fried shrimp is subtly spicy, extra crispy, naturally gluten-free and packed with flavor. Plus, they're vegan and better than their shrimp counterpart.
Ingredients
- 1 pound oyster mushrooms about 1 large head
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons rice flour
- 2/3 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon each of smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups plant-based milk or any milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 cup sunflower oil for pan frying
- 1 large handful of dill for topping
For the creamy hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons very drizzly cashew butter or tahini if you are nut free!
- 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper-based hot sauce I like Frank's Red Hot, but any generic hot sauce will do!
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic minced finely
Instructions
- Pull apart the oyster mushroom into pieces, each about 1" long. They should naturally separate but cut off the ends if that helps the process.
- Add the mushrooms to a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Add in the rice flour and toss to evenly coat all the mushrooms.
- In another large bowl or plate, add the cornmeal, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. Whisk together and season with salt and pepper.
- In a smaller bowl, add the plant-based milk and hot sauce and mix.
- Using one hand for wet and one for dry, dip the mushrooms in the plant-based milk mixture, and then toss them in the cornmeal mixture. Make sure they are evenly coated and that the cornmeal gets in all the crevices.
- Set a skillet on medium heat and add the sunflower oil. You want it to come up the sides just a bit, but not too much.
- Let the oil come to temperature, around 300°F-340°F, and then pan fry the mushrooms in batches, cooking for 2 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown.
- Transfer the fried mushrooms to a bed of paper towels to drain any excess oil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, hot sauce, garlic and avocado oil. Continue to thin out with hot sauce until it is your desired heat and color.
- Drizzle the mushrooms with the hot sauce, cover with dill and serve!