How to Deep Fry Mushrooms

Mushrooms, those funny fungi, are tasty additions to many dishes. But when mushrooms are deep fried, they become their own dish. Using tempura batter, a light batter of Japanese origin, a deep fried mushroom becomes crispy on the outside and firm and dense on the inside. Use these steps to deep fry mushrooms.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Deep fryer
• Cooking oil
• Mushrooms
• Flour
• Eggs
• Water
• Seasonings, such as salt, pepper and garlic
• Tongs and spoons
• Paper or plastic bag
• Paper towels
• Dipping sauce, such as marinara

1. Heat the vegetable oil in the deep fryer. Heat oil to approximately 365 to 375 degrees F. The temperature depends on the fryer and the number of mushrooms to be deep fried.

2. Wash the mushrooms thoroughly. Consider using different types of mushrooms, like button, oyster and shiitake. Select a medium-sized mushroom. Slice the mushrooms so they will be roughly the same size; some will halved, others quartered.

3. Mix the tempura batter. Combine approximately 1 cup of flour with seasonings, such as garlic, salt and pepper. Add one beaten egg. Whisk the mixture together until it is firm; add a little cold water to thin the batter. A pre-packaged tempura mix may be substituted. The batter will appear dense; it will lighten as it fries.

4. Dip the mushrooms into the tempura mix. Coat completely and shake off any excess batter. Continue to coat until there are enough coated mushrooms to fry in a batch.

5. Lower the mushrooms into the deep fryer using tongs. Be careful, as the oil is hot. Stir if necessary to keep the mushrooms from sticking. Fry the mushrooms until golden brown, approximately 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.

6. Serve when slightly cooled. Serve with dipping sauce, such as marinara or a Japanese tempura dipping sauce.

Tips & Warnings

• Add the mushrooms to the deep fryer basket after the basket has been lowered into the hot oil. This will prevent the mushrooms from sticking to the basket.
• Serve the deep fried mushrooms with a variety of other tempura-fried vegetables and seafood. This makes a delicious party platter or appetizer.
• Dry the mushrooms after washing to help the tempura to stick to the mushrooms.
• Never allow children near hot oil or a deep fryer while cooking.
• Always follow the manufacturer's recommendations when operating a deep fryer.
• Always follow food and kitchen safety rules. When cooking with raw eggs, prevent salmonella cross-contamination by washing hands and surfaces with soap and hot water and drying with paper towels. When working with hot oil, always have a fire extinguisher available.

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