Fried Mushrooms

1. Stage

Clean and trim the mushrooms: Use a damp sponge or paper towel to gently scrub off any visible dirt on the mushrooms. Slice off any woody or soft ends from your mushrooms with a knife and place them into a large mixing bowl.

2. Stage

Prepare the batter: Add the beer, buttermilk, soy sauce, and cracked egg into a medium bowl and whisk together until fully combined. Use a sieve to sift in 1 cup of the all-purpose flour, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Whisk the batter until no lumps remain and set aside.

3. Stage

Heat the oil: Add the canola oil to a clean, dry Dutch oven or other heavy-bottom frying vessel, using just enough to fill the vessel with 2 inches of oil. Heat over medium-high until the temperature reaches 350°F using an instant-read or candy thermometer, then adjust the heat as necessary to maintain the temperature.

4. Stage

Prepare the battering and frying stations: Add the panko to a small bowl and set it next to the batter, then place a baking sheet with a wire rack next to your frying station. Alternatively, you can line the baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels to soak up any excess oil.  Set aside a clean plate to place the breaded mushrooms on.

5. Stage

Coat the mushrooms: Toss the mushrooms with the remaining 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour until each mushroom has an even, thin layer of flour coating it.  Dip each floured mushroom into the beer batter, let the excess drip off, then toss in the panko breadcrumbs until evenly coated.  Remove to a clean plate and repeat with the remaining mushrooms.

6. Stage

Fry the mushrooms: Carefully add the first 10 mushrooms to the hot oil, adjusting heat as necessary to keep the oil temperature as close as possible to 350°F throughout the frying process.  Allow them to fry for 2-4 minutes, or until the bottoms are deeply golden brown, then use a spider or slotted spoon to carefully flip each mushroom.  Fry the other side for another 2-4 minutes, or until each mushroom is evenly golden brown.  Using your spider or slotted spoon, remove the fried mushrooms to your wire rack or paper towel-lined baking sheet and sprinkle liberally with flaky salt.  Repeat, in batches of 10 mushrooms, until all the mushrooms are fried — likely twice more.

7. Stage

Serve the fried mushrooms: Allow the final batch of fried mushrooms to cool for 5 minutes, then plate all the mushrooms on a large plate or serving platter. Sprinkle with more flaky salt as needed, and scatter fresh thyme leaves throughout.  Serve with your preferred dipping sauce and eat while warm.

8. Stage

Storage and reheating instructions: Refrigerate or freeze any remaining fried mushrooms in a tightly-sealed plastic or reusable bag. Leftover fried mushrooms will last for up to 4 days in the refrigerator and up to 1 month in the freezer. To reheat refrigerated mushrooms, placem on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 10-12 minutes, or until warmed through and crisped.  To reheat frozen mushrooms, bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below!