Chinese Deep-fried Shiitake Mushrooms

This Chinese fried shiitake mushrooms recipe is the first recipe on My Chinese Home Kitchen to use a soft batter coating. (Please see our article about the different types of batter used in Chinese cooking.) Our Easy Fried Chicken uses Panko bread crumbs, and our General Tso’s chicken uses a starch and flour coating, but not a batter.

Fried mushrooms are very popular in the West, but typically use white or common mushrooms. This recipe uses shiitake mushrooms, which are much more common in China, and is finished in a stir-fry that is fundamentally Chinese, using sesame oil, scallions, ginger, garlic, celery, and onion.  

I learned a new technique at New Oriental Cooking School: two-stage deep frying. By frying to set the batter, then removing the mushrooms from the oil, returning the oil to 150° C (300° F), then frying the mushrooms to a golden brown, we avoid having the mushrooms soaking in cooled oil. This keeps the batter light, and not greasy.

Chinese Deep-fried Shiitake Mushrooms

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This Chinese fried mushrooms recipe is the first recipe on My Chinese Home Kitchen to use a soft batter coating featuring whipped egg whites, and adds a sauce that is fundamentally Chinese, using sesame oil, scallions, ginger, garlic, and onion. 

To avoid an oily, greasy batter, we use a two-stage deep-fry technique. We heat the oil, fry the mushrooms until the coating starts to turn yellow. This matures and sets the batter. Then the mushrooms are removed, and the oil is heated again to 150° C (300° F). Then the mushrooms are returned to the oil to give the batter a crispy texture and golden brown color.  

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Chinese cuisine

Servings 2

Calories 2160 kcal

Equipment

• 1 large wok
• 1 wire kitchen strainer or slotted spoon
• 1 Dutch oven optional, for deep-frying the mushrooms

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 15 shiitake mushrooms, dried
• 2 cups oil (peanut oil, soybean oil, canola oil, or lard)

Aromatic ingredients

• 2 scallions
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic
• ¼ red onion
• 1 mild red pepper (er jing tiao)
• 1-2 celery, small
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Batter

• 2 egg whites
• 4 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoon corn starch

Seasonings

• salt (to taste)
• black pepper, ground (to taste)
• MSG (optional)

Instructions

 

• Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms until they are softened, then remove the stems.
  15 shiitake mushrooms, dried, 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, 3 cloves garlic, 1/4 red onion, 1 mild red pepper, 1-2 celery, small, 2 scallions
• Chop the scallions, ginger, garlic, onion, red pepper, and celery.
• Blanch the shiitake mushrooms. Then, squeeze the water from the mushrooms, add some salt and monosodium glutamate (optional) and allow them to marinate for 5 minutes. Next, add cornstarch and stir evenly, until the surface of the shiitake mushrooms has a thin layer of white frosting.
  salt, MSG, 2 tablespoon corn starch
• Prepare the batter. Use a ratio of flour to cornstarch of 2:1. Then add a small amount of water and stir until thick. Beat the egg whites until they are opaque, add them into the batter, and mix well.
  4 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoon corn starch, 2 egg whites
  
• Put the shiitake mushrooms in the batter and mix well.
  
• Heat enough oil to cover the mushrooms to 120°-150° C (248° – 300° F), and add the battered mushrooms to the hot oil for frying. Fry the mushrooms until they turn a light yellow and remove them from the oil. Then heat the oil again to 150° C (300° F) and return the light yellow mushrooms in the hot oil for a second deep frying. When the surface of the shiitake mushrooms turn golden brown, then remove them and drain the oil.
  2 cups oil
  
• Add a small amount of sesame oil to the wok, then add the green onion, ginger, garlic, onion, red pepper, and celery to fry until you smell the aroma. Add the fried mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper evenly and stir fry to finish.
  2 scallions, 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, 3 cloves garlic, 1/4 red onion, 1 mild red pepper, 1-2 celery, small, salt, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, black pepper, ground
  

Video

Notes

• Beware of hot oil
• There is no need for constant high temperature during the first frying, because we will do the second frying.
• The first deep frying is to mature and set the batter and ingredients. The function of the second frying is to get the color and texture of the finished product.

Nutrition

Calories: 2160kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 6gFat: 228gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 65gMonounsaturated Fat: 143gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 72mgPotassium: 316mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 276IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg

Keyword celery, dried chili peppers, er jing tao chili peppers, frying, deep-fry, frying, stir-fry, garlic, ginger, oil, sesame, pepper, black, red onion, salt, scallions, shiitake mushroom, Vegetable Recipes

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