Buttermilk Fried Oyster Mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms are meaty and juicy and have a cool pull-apart texture that makes them ideal as a chicken substitute. Which is how fried oyster mushrooms were born. It’s also a creative way to get kids to eat an oft-hated food item. Truly, once you make a bucket of these crunchy coated mushrooms, they will soon be your go-to vegan fried chicken recipe!

Ingredients 

1 cup (250 mL) plant-based milk (such as oat or soy)
1 Tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
4 oz (114 g) oyster mushrooms, cleaned and pulled apart into large chunks
1½ cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour
1½ tsp salt
1½ tsp paprika
¾ tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Cooking spray

Directions

1. Oven method: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
Air-fryer method: Preheat your air fryer to 370°F (188°C).

2. in a large bowl, mix the plant-based milk and lemon juice (this will result in vegan buttermilk). Add the oyster mushrooms and toss to evenly coat. Marinate in the buttermilk for 15 minutes, tossing halfway through. (The buttermilk may separate—this is totally OK. You can just whisk it back together if needed.)

3. In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, paprika, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.

4. Take a mushroom from the buttermilk mixture and toss it in the flour mixture. Shake off the excess flour, then dunk it back into the buttermilk mixture, and then again in the flour mixture. Set aside on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer or on a plate if using the air fryer. repeat with the remaining mushrooms, giving each a double coating.

5. Oven method: spray the mushrooms generously with cooking spray on all sides. Bake for 10 minutes, flip, spray the tops with more oil (making sure to coat any powdery spots), and continue to cook for another 8–15 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

6. Air-fryer method: Grease the bottom of the air-fryer basket. Lay the coated mushrooms in the basket in a single layer—do not overcrowd (you may need to work in batches). spray the tops generously with cooking spray. Air-fry for 5 minutes, flip, spray with more oil (making sure to coat any powdery spots), and continue cooking for another 5–10 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

Tip:
It’s highly unlikely that you will have any leftovers because these are so tasty, but if you do, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. reheat and crisp up in the air fryer for 5–8 minutes or in the oven for 8–15 minutes, using the same temperatures as in the recipe.

Excerpted from Craving Vegan by Sam Turnbull. Copyright © 2023 Sam Turnbull. Photographs by Tanya Pilgram. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.