Southern Fried Mushrooms

This recipe was originally published in the award-winning cookbook Tenderheart: A Cookbook About Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds by Hetty Lui McKinnon (Knopf, 2023). Reprinted here with permission.

You can purchase Tenderheart here

Ingredients:

• Scant 2 cups (225 g) chickpea flour (besan)
• 1 ¼ teaspoons smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoons chile powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 small garlic clove, grated
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 1 lb (450g) maitake, shimeji or oyster mushrooms (preferably in clusters)
• 1 ¾ cups (240g) finely ground or coarse yellow polenta
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 head of romaine, butter or iceberg lettuce, leaves separated

Spicy Mayonnaise:

• ¾ cup (180g) vegan or regular mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 small garlic clove, grated
• 1-2 tablespoons chili crisp

Method:

1. In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas flour, paprika, chile powder, garlic, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and a few turns of black pepper. Pour in 1 ⅓ cups (320 ml) of water and whisk to combine. Set aside to reset for a few minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. To make the spicy mayonnaise, place all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.
3. Keeping the mushrooms in clusters, gently tear them into chunks.
4. Place the polenta in a wide bowl and season with sea salt and black pepper.
5. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Dip one of the mushroom chunks into the chickpea flour batter, holding it momentarily over the bowl to allow any excess batter to drip off, then place straight in the bowl with the polenta. Carefully turn the mushroom in the polenta to coat. Place the battered mushroom chunk on one of the prepared pans, then repeat until all the mushrooms are coated.
6. To bake: preheat the oven to 450℉ (230℃). Generously drizzle the battered mushrooms with olive oil and bake for 10 minutes or until golden on the underside. Take the pans out of the oven and flip the mushrooms over, then return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes, until golden and crispy all over.
7. To shallow-fry: heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add ½ –¾ inch (1.5-2 cm) of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add as many of the battered mushrooms as you can fit, laying them as flat as you can in the oil. If the oil is smoking, reduce the heat a little. Fry for 2-3 minutes, until the undersides are golden, then flip the mushrooms over and cook until golden and crispy all over. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
8. To serve, scatter the lettuce leaves on a large plate or serving board. Top with the crispy mushrooms and serve with the spicy mayonnaise on the side. To eat, I like to wrap a piece of lettuce around the mushrooms, add a dollop of mayo and enjoy like a sang choy bao.