SOURCE: THE BUDDHIST CHEF

Be warned! You might need to make a double recipe of this vegan fried “chicken”… it’s so good!

A little while ago, I posted a recipe for pasta with a creamy mushroom sauce. I used oyster mushrooms and was reminded how toothy and wholesome they are. Reminiscent of chicken, but meatless.

So when this Buddhist Chef recipe for vegan fried “chicken” came out, featuring battered and deep fried oyster mushrooms, I knew it was going to be great. The whole oyster mushrooms have the toothiness and “string-iness” of chicken legs. (For larger mushrooms, I’ll slice them in half lengthwise.)

The first time I made this, I regretted not buying two packages of oyster mushrooms, because I was left wanting more.

Next time, I picked up 3 packages of oyster mushrooms!

A few tips for the recipe:

• Don’t worry about using spelt flour; I have been using regular all-purpose flour and have been very happy with the results
• I also use oat milk since that’s the plant milk I usually have in the fridge; any milk substitute will work for this recipe
  • I find I need closer to 1.5 cups of oat milk to get the wet batter to the right consistency… not too thick and not too thin; keep adding milk until you get the consistency that feels right for you
• Consider making extra dry batter (1.5x recipe), because it’s easier to coat the mushrooms when you have a more generous amount

I serve with a sweet and spicy mayo made using Hellman’s vegan mayo with sriracha sauce (as spicy as you like) and a squirt of hoisin sauce and maple syrup for depth and sweetness.

Give it a try! You might never go back to regular fried chicken again!