Sellwood Mushrooms Recipe
Maitake Tempura
Light, crisp, and deeply savory, maitake tempura turns one beautiful mushroom cluster into a dramatic Japanese-style dish with delicate crunch and tender texture.
Maitake is one of the best mushrooms for tempura because its natural branching structure creates lots of crisp edges while the center stays juicy and tender. This version keeps the batter light and simple so the mushroom stays the focus.
Ingredients
- 1 large maitake mushroom cluster, about 8 to 10 ounces
- Neutral oil for frying, such as rice bran, canola, or avocado oil
- Flaky salt or fine sea salt, for finishing
Tempura Batter
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup rice flour or cornstarch
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup ice-cold sparkling water or ice-cold water
Optional Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 cup dashi
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- Grated daikon or grated ginger, for serving
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Gently trim the base of the maitake and tear it into large natural clusters. Keep the pieces fairly large so they hold their dramatic shape.
- Heat 1 1/2 to 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 350°F.
- If using the dipping sauce, combine the dashi, soy sauce, and mirin in a small saucepan. Warm gently, then set aside.
- In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add the ice-cold sparkling water.
- Add the flour and rice flour. Stir very lightly with chopsticks or a fork just until combined. The batter should stay lumpy.
- Dip each maitake cluster into the batter and let the excess drip off lightly.
- Fry in batches for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until pale golden and crisp. Do not overcrowd the oil.
- Transfer to a rack or paper towel-lined tray and season lightly with salt while hot.
- Serve immediately with the dipping sauce, grated daikon, grated ginger, or lemon wedges.
Recipe Tips
Keep the batter cold
Very cold batter helps create a light, crisp coating instead of a dense crust.
Do not overmix
A few lumps are perfect. Overmixing develops gluten and makes tempura heavier.
Fry in natural clusters
Maitake looks best when you preserve its branching form and crisp all those edges.
Serve immediately
Tempura is best right after frying, when the coating is still delicate and airy.
Serving Ideas
- Serve as an appetizer with tentsuyu and grated daikon
- Pair with soba noodles and a cucumber sunomono
- Add to a tempura platter with kabocha, shishito peppers, or sweet potato
- Set over warm rice with a soft egg and a drizzle of soy sauce
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