Fried Oyster Mushroom Burger with Peanut Crunch

Fried oyster mushroom burgers are one of my absolute favourite vegan junk foods. Ever since I made my first, it’s the only vegan burger I want and actually enjoy eating. The textures are incredibly similar to the point that I don’t find myself longing for chicken, and the mushrooms stay crunchy on the outside but meaty and juicy on the inside.

I’ve been toying with the idea of a fried oyster burger recipe for so long, but I didn’t know what flavour profile I wanted to go for, all I knew was I wanted it to be different to the recipes and versions I’ve come across.

This burger is a real fusion of flavours. The main inspiration came from the delicious northern Chinese cumin lamb noodles- the mala flavour, combined with the cumin. I took that, and played with it until I got to this delicious recipe.

It’s a mildly spicy, numbing, citrusy burger full of umami with the cucumber bringing a touch of freshness.

Prep/cooking time: 30-40 mins

Serves: 2 people

Ingredients

For the Peanut Crunch:

1/4 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorn

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp mild chilli powder

3/4 tsp white miso

25g salted peanuts, chopped into small pieces

2 spring onions, sliced thin

1/2 tsp sugar

2 tbsps neutral oil

1/2 tsp black vinegar

Method:

1. In a small bowl, combine everything but the black vinegar.

2. Heat the oil in a small pan until smoking, then pour onto the peanut mixture - The hot oil will make the mixture sizzle. Stir to bring the sauce together, then set aside.

For the Burger:

150g Oyster Mushrooms

1 cup (206g) Plant Based Milk

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp mild chilli powder

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp ancho chilli powder or smoked paprika

2/3 cup (113g) flour

1/4 cup (43g) potato starch

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 vegan burger buns

Cucumber, sliced thin

neutral oil, ketchup

Method:

1. In a bowl, combine the milk, salt, cumin, chilli powder, half the paprika, ancho or smoked paprika. Stir together. Add the mushrooms to the marinade and let sit for 5-10 mins.

2. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, the other half of the paprika, potato starch and black pepper. Season with salt.

3. In a medium heavy-bottomed pot, pour in enough oil to fill 1/3 of it. Turn the heat up to medium-high, or if you have a cooking thermometer, heat to 170°C.

4. When the oil is coming up to temperature, pour 1 tbsp worth of the liquid marinade into the flour. Toss so that little crumbs form.

5. Take an oyster mushroom and toss into the flour until fully coated. Continue this process until all the mushrooms have been dredged.

6. To test that the oil is ready, stick the end of a wooden spoon or chopstick into the pot, bubbles should form and float up, that means it’s ready, if it’s bubbling hard, the oil is too hot, turn the heat down.

7. Gently place your dredged mushrooms into the oil (you may need to fry in batches), fry for 4-6 minutes, flipping halfway until crispy. The oil temperature naturally drops when you add the mushrooms into the pot, adjust the temperature accordingly.

8. When the mushrooms are crispy, take them out and transfer onto a wire rack.

9. Meanwhile, toast the burger buns.

10. Slather some ketchup onto the buns, add as many crispy nuggets of mushroom as you can, drizzle with peanut crunch, top with fresh cucumber and close the burger. Serve when hot.