Crispy oyster mushrooms with sweet-and-sour sauce (beoseot tangsuyuk)
Light potato-starch batter makes oyster mushrooms crisp outside and juicy inside. A separate sweet-and-sour vegetable sauce lets you choose how much crunch to keep.
Ingredients
2 servings
Everyday kitchen measurements
For 2 servings. Use a small 180 ml paper cup, a level eating spoon (about 15 ml) and a small teaspoon (about 5 ml).
How to fill the cup and spoons
Use the same cup and spoons throughout. Their sizes vary, so these amounts are approximate. Spoon flour in loosely and level the top without pressing. Measure vegetables after chopping, without packing them down. The amounts in g/ml are the original reference quantities. For part of a pack, use the specified pack weight and divide the contents evenly.
King Arthur Baking-
Essential
The main ingredient; use fresh firm clusters and dry well.
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Essential
Needed for a light crisp coating; not potato flour.
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Essential
Start with this amount; add 5 ml at a time only if the batter will not coat thinly.
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Essential
Seasons the mushroom batter.
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Essential
Approximately 3 mm deep in a 24 cm pan; never fill more than one third.
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Essential
Adds sweetness and texture to the sauce.
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Essential
Cut thinly so it cooks with the onion.
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Optional
Optional; add at the end to keep its fresh texture.
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Essential
The sauce base; keep separate from batter water.
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Essential
Provides the sour balance; use plain unsweetened vinegar.
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Essential
Balances the vinegar; dissolve in the sauce.
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Essential
Seasons the sauce; check wheat and soy allergens.
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Essential
Mix with the separately listed cold water before adding.
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Essential
Keeps the thickener smooth; never add dry starch directly to hot sauce.
Tap each ingredient as you prepare it. Check product labels for egg, soy, sesame, wheat, fish or shellfish where relevant.
Step-by-step cooking
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Step 1
Trim the tough mushroom bases. Wipe clean or rinse briefly, then pat very dry; trapped water makes the oil spit. Tear into 3–4 cm pieces of similar thickness. Slice onion thinly; cut carrot and cucumber into 2 mm half-moons. Keep cucumber separate.
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Step 2
Mix 80 g potato starch, about ⅓ paper cup + 1 level eating spoon + 1 small teaspoon (80 ml) cold water and salt until smooth. It should coat a mushroom thinly and drip slowly, not form dough. If necessary add cold water about 1 small teaspoon (5 ml) at a time. Stir again before each batch because starch settles; coat only the mushrooms you are about to fry.
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Step 3
In a small saucepan combine sauce water, vinegar, sugar and soy sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat; add onion and carrot and cook 2–3 minutes until just tender. Turn to low while frying. Do not add the slurry yet.
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Step 4
Heat oil 3 mm deep in a high-sided 24 cm pan to about 170°C over medium heat. A small drop of batter should bubble promptly, without smoking. Fry in 2–3 uncrowded batches, 2–3 minutes per side, until the coating is firm and pale golden. Turn with dry tongs; lower the heat if it darkens before becoming crisp. Drain on a rack, not stacked on one another. Never put water into hot oil.
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Step 5
Stir 5 g starch with about 1 level eating spoon (15 ml) cold water. Bring the sauce back to a gentle simmer, add cucumber, then slowly stir in the slurry. Cook 30–60 seconds until translucent and lightly coating a spoon. If too thick, stir in about 1 level eating spoon (15 ml) water; do not keep reducing it into a sticky paste.
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Step 6
Serve the mushrooms immediately with sauce alongside, or spoon a little over just before eating. For the crispiest result do not leave them soaking in sauce. Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours, keeping sauce separate; reheat mushrooms in an oven rather than a microwave.
Finished dish
2 servings. Vegetarian with suitable soy sauce. Contains soy and usually wheat. Use a dry, deep-sided pan and keep children away from hot oil. The 120 ml oil is a frying medium, not the amount eaten. Sauce vegetables may be cut ahead, but mix batter and fry just before serving.
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Enjoy every bite
How to enjoy it
Serve freshly fried, with the sweet-and-sour sauce alongside. Add a light vegetable or egg side to make a meal.
Serve it with
Korean steamed eggs
Soft, mild steamed egg custard made in an ordinary heatproof bowl and a covered pot. No special Korean stone pot or microwave is needed.
Korean spicy cucumber salad (oi-muchim)
A crisp cucumber side dish with gochugaru, vinegar and sesame. Mix shortly before serving for the freshest texture.