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Description
In the mood for calamari? Instead of splurging on expensive seafood, buy some “Oysters” instead. No, not ocean-dwelling oysters — Oyster mushrooms — like you may have seen while strolling through the woods. We’re not suggesting you pick them on your stoll; instead, pick them up at your favorite grocery store.
Oysters offer antioxidant-like effects, and, like other mushrooms, offer other great health benefits ranging from fiber to high vitamin and mineral content. And, although you may originally only include mushrooms into your diet to improve your health, they may become a new regular on your dinner plate thanks to their amazing taste!
With a delicious flavor and buttery-smooth texture, Oyster mushroom recipes are as bountiful as the fresh fungi grown right here at Monterey Mushrooms. You can easily find recipes for everything from appetizers to main dishes, each highlighting this specialty mushroom’s unique flavor profile.
The ability of mushrooms to be a top stand-in for both meat and seafood is showcased in this “calamari” appetizer with ingredients that are most likely already in your kitchen. Here, Oysters are a tasty replacement for calamari and are a great way to wow your vegetarian friends with the satisfying umami flavor or fool your seafood-loving friends into thinking you made the freshest, best-tasting calamari ever.
After trying this recipe, we know that cooking Oyster mushrooms is sure to become a favorite part of your cooking repertoire!
Ingredients
- 4 ounces Monterey Mushrooms® Oyster Mushrooms
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup buttermilk
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 lemon
- Cocktail sauce or tartar sauce, per your preference
Instructions
- Preheat the fryer.*
- Remove the individual Oyster florets from the bunch. If they are large, slice them into individual pieces.
- Clean your mushrooms with our tips for preparing mushrooms here, being careful NOT to rinse them.
- Slice the lemon into wedges and set them off to the side.
- Pour the buttermilk into a medium bowl and add the individual Oyster mushrooms to soak for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, mix the flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
- Dredge the Oyster mushrooms in the flour mixture and set aside on a plate.
- When all mushrooms are prepared, drop them into the preheated fryer.*
- When they turn a light golden brown, remove the mushrooms and drain the excess oil on a paper towel-lined cookie sheet or plate. Sprinkle with salt, if desired.
- Serve with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce. Great with tarter sauce, too!
*If you don’t have one, you can prepare these on the stovetop or in an air fryer!
Stovetop Method:
- Pour 2 inches of vegetable oil into a deep frying pan and slowly heat the oil on medium/high. If you have a frying thermometer, aim for 365°F. (If you don't, test a small piece of mushroom. If it bubbles right away without boiling, it's ready.)
- If the oil is starting to smoke before laying the mushrooms in the pan, your oil has become too hot. Lower heat until the smoke disappears.
- Follow the rest of the instructions above.
Air Fryer Method:
- Preheat the air fryer.
- Lightly spray the basket with olive oil.
- Arrange the prepared mushrooms in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Do not crowd the mushrooms; you will need to prepare them in more than one batch.
- Lightly spray oil over the top of the prepared mushrooms.
- Cook at 380°F for 10 minutes.
- Flip the mushrooms and spray the tops again with olive oil. Cook an additional 6-8 minutes, checking the mushrooms at 6 minutes.
Related Recipes
Check out these dishes for more amazing meatless mushroom dishes that will have your mouth watering.
- Vegetarian Grilled Buffalo “Chicken” Mushroom Kebabs
- Maitake Pulled "Pork" Sandwich
- Easy Vegetarian and Gluten Free Mushroom Gravy
More Meatless Masterpieces
Interested in exploring more meatless meals? Mushrooms are high in umami, making them the perfect stand-in for meat. And, with their natural salty flavor, you don’t need to add extra sodium. Access 6 delicious recipes and find out more ways to cook with mushrooms when you download your Guide to Meatless Meals.
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