Portobello Mushroom Fries with Cherry Pepper Sauce
By Amanda LuchtelPublished on October 31, 2023
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Sauce
¾ cup sour cream ⅓ cup minced seeded jarred hot cherry pepper, plus 1 tablespoon brine1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley 2 garlic cloves, minced2 teaspoons honey ¼ teaspoon table saltMushrooms
12 ounces portobello mushroom caps 2 cups panko bread crumbs 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)2 teaspoons dried oregano 1¾ teaspoons table salt, divided¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes ½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup water 2 large eggs 2 cups vegetable oil for fryingBefore You Begin
If you can find only portobello mushrooms with stems, buy 1 pound to ensure that you'll end up with 12 ounces of caps after trimming. These mushroom fries also go well with jarred marinara sauce.
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together in bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
- Using a spoon, gently scrape gills from underside of mushroom caps. Slice mushrooms ½ inch thick.
- Combine panko, Parmesan, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper flakes in medium bowl. Transfer half of panko mixture to shallow dish; reserve remaining panko mixture in bowl.
- Whisk flour, water, eggs, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt in large bowl until smooth. Add half of mushrooms to batter and gently turn to coat. Working with 1 mushroom piece at a time, remove from batter, letting excess drip back into bowl, and transfer to panko mixture, turning to coat and pressing gently to adhere. Arrange breaded mushrooms on rimmed baking sheet. Discard used panko mixture, then add reserved panko mixture to now-empty shallow dish and repeat breading with remaining mushrooms. (Breaded mushrooms can be refrigerated, uncovered, for up to 2 hours.)
- Set wire rack in second rimmed baking sheet and line with triple layer of paper towels. Add oil to 12-inch nonstick skillet and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Add half of mushrooms, one at a time, to hot oil. Fry until mushrooms are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Transfer mushrooms to prepared rack and let drain briefly, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer drained mushrooms to serving platter. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining mushrooms. Serve with sauce.
for the sauce
for the mushrooms
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Sauce
Mushrooms
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Sauce
Mushrooms
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Sauce
Mushrooms
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Our goal was to develop a recipe for fried mushrooms with perfectly seasoned, crispy exteriors and tender (not soggy or wet) interiors. Because smaller varieties of mushrooms can overcook and sog out, we chose to use portobello mushrooms cut into ½-inch-thick slices. These meaty slices could withstand enough time in the hot oil for the crispy coating to become golden brown without overcooking. For a breading that would adhere to the mushrooms and stay crispy, we coated the mushrooms with a light batter of flour, water, egg, and salt followed by a crispy, cheesy mixture of panko and Parmesan cheese seasoned with oregano and red pepper flakes. We found that shallow frying the mushrooms in just 2 cups of oil in a skillet resulted in even browning, while deep frying made the mushrooms float, and when we tried to flip them, they just flipped right back, so we couldn't get browning on both sides. These fries are delicious with jarred marinara sauce, but we also developed a creamy dip to pair with them. The mixture of sour cream, jarred hot cherry peppers, parsley, garlic, honey, and salt made the perfect companion to our mushroom fries.
Before You Begin
If you can find only portobello mushrooms with stems, buy 1 pound to ensure that you'll end up with 12 ounces of caps after trimming. These mushroom fries also go well with jarred marinara sauce.
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together in bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
- Using a spoon, gently scrape gills from underside of mushroom caps. Slice mushrooms ½ inch thick.
- Combine panko, Parmesan, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper flakes in medium bowl. Transfer half of panko mixture to shallow dish; reserve remaining panko mixture in bowl.
- Whisk flour, water, eggs, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt in large bowl until smooth. Add half of mushrooms to batter and gently turn to coat. Working with 1 mushroom piece at a time, remove from batter, letting excess drip back into bowl, and transfer to panko mixture, turning to coat and pressing gently to adhere. Arrange breaded mushrooms on rimmed baking sheet. Discard used panko mixture, then add reserved panko mixture to now-empty shallow dish and repeat breading with remaining mushrooms. (Breaded mushrooms can be refrigerated, uncovered, for up to 2 hours.)
- Set wire rack in second rimmed baking sheet and line with triple layer of paper towels. Add oil to 12-inch nonstick skillet and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Add half of mushrooms, one at a time, to hot oil. Fry until mushrooms are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Transfer mushrooms to prepared rack and let drain briefly, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer drained mushrooms to serving platter. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining mushrooms. Serve with sauce.
for the sauce
for the mushrooms
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