I’ve seen a lot of videos online of Youtuber’s finding creative ways to substitute meat in their favorite dishes. At the moment, I have no plans to become a vegan or vegetarian, though I have considered it in the past. But I am making gradual changes to my diet. I’m reducing my meat intake and increasing my fruits and vegetables. So, I’ll admit I’ve been intrigued by some very delicious looking meatless meals. One in particular that caught my attention was deep fried mushrooms. I even found a recipe online and tried it myself. I was pleasantly surprised to find that fried mushrooms do taste similar to chicken, but some mushrooms work better than others and the seasoning has to be right. So, after a few attempts, I created my own fried mushroom recipe. My family and I love it and I’m passing it on in the hopes that you and your family will love it too.

Ingredients –

1 Pack/8oz. Blue Oyster Mushrooms

2 Cups of Milk

3 Cups of flour, divided

½ Cup Cornstarch

2 tbsp Creole Cajun Seasoning

1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast (optional)

2 tsp Mushroom Seasoning (optional)

2 tsp Smoked Paprika

2 tsp Onion Powder

2 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Pepper

1 tsp Salt

Cooking Oil for deep frying

Directions –

Mushrooms: Wash mushrooms in water to clean of dirt. Once done, gently press them to remove excess water. Break the mushroom into desired sized pieces and set aside in a medium bowl.

Dry Batter: In a medium bowl add 1 & ½ cups of flour, ½ cup cornstarch, 1 tbsp Creole Cajun seasoning, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 tsp mushroom seasoning, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp pepper, and ½ tsp salt. Mix well and set aside.

Wet Batter: In a medium bowl add 1 & ½ cups of flour, 2 cups of milk, 1 tbsp Creole Cajun seasoning, 1 tsp mushroom seasoning, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp pepper, and ½ tsp salt. Mix well and set aside.

Prep the Fryer: Now is the perfect time to add oil to your cooking pan and allow it to gradually warm under medium to medium-high heat.

Coating The Mushrooms: Create a mini assembly line of mushrooms, dry batter, wet batter, and a pan or plate to place the coated pieces.

Note: You may also want to get two spoons. One for each bowl of batter. Or if you don’t want to use spoons, just remember to use one hand for the dry batter and the other hand for wet batter.

Once everything is ready, place a few pieces of mushrooms in the dry batter. Turn the pieces over front and back to ensure they are fully coated, especially in between the little sprouts. Shake the pieces to remove excess batter and then place them into wet batter and repeat the process.

If you don’t want extra crispy mushrooms, you can place the coated mushrooms on the pan and start the next batch. If you want extra crispy mushrooms, add the coated mushrooms back into the dry batter, coat well and the place into the wet batter once more. After two coatings place the coated mushrooms on the pan and start the next batch.

Once the mushrooms are all coated, check your cooking oil to ensure it is nice and hot. When ready place your first batch of mushrooms into to the oil and allow them to cook for 3-4 minutes. Once the mushrooms are a deep golden brown, turn them over allowing the other side to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Once both sides are golden brown, place the cooked mushrooms on a cloth or paper towel covered pan to soak up excess oil. Repeat this process until all of the mushrooms are done.

Enjoy!    

If you decide to try this recipe, leave a comment below and let me know what you think.

Until next time,