Early Spring Comfort Food: Fried Oyster Mushrooms
Springtime brings with it an unignorable lust for sunshine. Brighter days! Yellow flowers! Buds on trees! Chartreuse leaves! But I think there is just as much sensual living to be done on those stormy spring days as well. Spring showers don’t just bring flowers, they bring mushrooms too...
Wandering in wet woods puts me into a different mindset than woods dappled with sunshine. I get quiet and introspective, listening to the drops falling on my shoulders. Usually the rain is cold and I’m bundled up in rain gear, but on the rare occasions that the rain is warm I love feeling it on my skin, getting lost in that vertical mist of moisture as the forest floor awakens. Green looks more green in the rain. Sometimes, my nose catches a slight hint of anise and my eyes light up: the oysters must be out.
Oyster mushrooms are often some of the earliest spring mushrooms to hunt for before the soil has warmed enough for morels or chanterelles. I used to think they were a bit boring compared to my other favorites. They don’t have the sensual apricot fragrance of chanterelles, nor the meaty richness of morels. But what oysters do have is a marvelous texture, one that stands up wonderfully to a variety of applications. They are also really satisfying to forage as they often come in beautiful big clusters, pretty enough to be part of a floral arrangement (if they weren’t so good for eating, that is.)
After a lovely rain-soaked wander through wet spring woods one day, I came home with a basket full of oyster mushrooms, a little fresh watercress from my favorite spring (and an excuse to fill my water bottle with fresh mountain water), and a brain filled with inspiration. While the same finds on a sunny day might have me thinking about salads or pickles or something grilled, today I want something warm, cozy, hearty, and rich. Comfort food. Straight from the forest and eaten by candlelight in the dim light of my cloud-covered home. Crispy fried oyster mushrooms. Creamy sauce. Bright chimichurri. Mmm. Bring on the rains.
Fried Oyster Mushrooms:
One thing I love about this recipe is that you are likely to already have most of the ingredients in your pantry, so it is easy to whip together without additional trips to grocery stores. The flavor of the oyster mushrooms comes through in a really lovely, slightly nutty, way, accented with crisp batter for a textural contrast. I added just a bit of cayenne pepper to my batter, which kicks in a bit as an aftertaste. While you could definitely fry oyster mushrooms individually, frying the whole cluster makes a gorgeous presentation and a fun way to eat them communally with family (like tear-and-share bread, almost.) These are best eaten hot and messy, so be sure to get your sauces ready to go while the oil heats up! This recipe serves six people as a main dish, or many more as a snack or appetizer! You can also easily halve or third the recipe for smaller amounts. (If you do make smaller pieces, you can halve the batter recipe and reduce oil to 2” deep. You need lots of batter to be able to cover the whole cluster of mushrooms.)
Ingredients:
20 oz fresh oyster mushrooms (I used 3 clusters)
4 c. brown rice flour
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Cayenne pepper (or more if you like it spicy!)
2 tsp. Salt
Fresh pepper
3-6 c. water
1 c. panko bread crumbs
Vegetable oil to fill a large pan 4” deep
Kitchen thermometer
Directions:
Clean the oyster mushrooms as needed. It’s best to keep them from getting wet and soggy; instead brush off any debris with a bristled brush and pick out any bark, critters, or other less desirable things.
Start heating the oil over medium-low heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice flour, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Divide the mixture into two bowls.
Add 3 c. water to one bowl and mix. It should be about the consistency of thin pancake batter. Add more water as needed until you reach that consistency.
Add the panko bread crumbs to the second bowl to make your dry mixture.
Once the oil is between 350 and 375F, you’re ready to start frying.
Dip the oyster mushrooms into the wet batter, then coat them in the dry batter and place in the hot oil until golden, gently flipping them to ensure even browning. After the oysters are a rich brown and crispy, let them drain on several layers of paper towels. Eat warm and serve with delicious dipping sauce!
Watercress Chimichurri
This bright green sauce is a wonderfully flavorful dip to pair with just about anything - but it’s especially good with fried mushrooms. It's tangy, a little sharp, and tastes wonderfully fresh. If you use watercress, make sure you forage it from a clean location! You can substitute other spring greens for the parsley if you’d like - nettle would be particularly great.
Ingredients:
1 c. fresh watercress
½ c. fresh parsley
3/4 c. fresh cilantro (with stems)
⅓ c. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Pepper
½ tsp. Smoked paprika
1 Tbs. chopped jalapeno, de-seeded
Directions:
This recipe is super simple. Just place all of the above ingredients in a blender and mix until it’s still chunky but is mostly combined.
Tahini Miso Lemon Sauce:
This creamy sauce balances out the spice of the chimichurri. It’s velvety smooth and very creamy, with a nutty tahini flavor. Lemon and garlic give it just enough subtle flavoring to be absolutely delicious.
Ingredients:
½ c. tahini
½ c. cooked white beans
1 tsp chickpea miso
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 clove garlic
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. Maple syrup
Directions:
Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until combined into a smooth dipping sauce. Add a little more water or lemon juice to thin out if needed.
What kind of foods have you been making during this pandemic? Are you eating mostly canned or shelf-stable goods, or is it business as usual in your home?
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