Chicken-Fried Shiitake

A vegan take on chicken fried steak: meaty shiitake caps run through a three-step breading with JUST Egg and a flour, potato starch and cornstarch dredge, then fried crisp. Same seasoning as my Chicken Fried Steak.

Ingredients

Mushrooms

1 lb large shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps wiped clean

Seasoning (same as Chicken Fried Steak)

2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp white pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground thyme

Breading

1 cup AP flour
¼ cup potato starch
¼ cup cornstarch
1 cup JUST Egg (vegan egg), whisked with 2 T water or unsweetened plant milk
Neutral oil for frying (peanut or canola)

Optional dip / condiment

Vegan Black Pepper Gravy

Instructions

Mix the seasoning. Whisk the flour, potato starch and cornstarch with half of it; season the caps lightly with a pinch of the rest.
Set up three stations: seasoned flour mix, JUST Egg, then seasoned flour mix again (split the dredge into two bowls).
Dredge each cap in flour, dip in JUST Egg, then press firmly into the second flour bowl so the coating gets shaggy. For an extra-thick crust, dip in egg and flour once more. Rest on a rack 10 minutes so the breading sets.
Heat 1 inch of oil to 350°F. Fry in batches 3–4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and crisp. Drain on a rack and hit with a pinch of salt.
Serve right away, smothered in or with a side of Vegan Black Pepper Gravy.

Plating

Serve over mashed potatoes with Vegan Black Pepper Gravy, or stack on a bun with pickles and slaw.

Pairings

The original: Chicken Fried Steak.

References

Adapted from Jessica in the Kitchen's Vegan Fried Chicken (fried oyster/shiitake mushrooms).