Crispy Fried Button Mushrooms with Comeback Sauce

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Whole button mushrooms dipped in a deliberately thin, ice-cold beer batter and fried hot and fast so the shell shatters instead of sogging. The mushrooms steam inside their own crust, staying juicy and mineral-sweet, while a tangy Mississippi-style comeback sauce cuts the fry. A Southern roadhouse appetizer done right at home.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon chili sauce or hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 pound button mushrooms, small and uniform
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, for dusting

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup very cold lager or seltzer, plus more as needed

• 6 cups peanut or vegetable oil
• Flaky sea salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Make the comeback sauce first so it has time to sit: whisk the mayonnaise, ketchup, chili sauce, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire, grated garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper in a small bowl until smooth. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes (up to 5 days) — it sharpens as it rests.
2. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel rather than rinsing them; wet mushrooms steam the batter off. Trim the stems flush with the caps. Leave small mushrooms whole and halve any that are wider than 1 1/2 inches. Toss with the 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and spread on a paper towel–lined tray for 10 minutes, then blot dry again.
3. Pour the oil into a heavy 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven to a depth of about 2 inches and heat over medium-high to 375°F on a clip-on or instant-read thermometer. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan next to the stove.
4. While the oil heats, put a large bowl inside a slightly larger bowl of ice water. In the inner bowl, whisk together the 3/4 cup flour, cornstarch, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, and cayenne. Keep it on the ice until the last minute.
5. Toss the dried mushrooms with the 1/4 cup dusting flour in a separate bowl until lightly coated, then shake off all excess in a sieve. This dry film is what gives the thin batter something to grip.
6. Pour the cold beer or seltzer into the chilled dry mix and whisk just 10 to 15 seconds — a few lumps are correct. The batter should be thin enough to run off a spoon in a steady ribbon and barely veil the back of it, roughly the consistency of heavy cream. Thin with another tablespoon or two of cold liquid if it feels like pancake batter. Leave the bowl sitting in the ice water.
7. Working in batches of 8 to 10, drop the floured mushrooms into the batter, lift them out one at a time with a fork, let the excess drip back for 2 seconds, and slide them into the 375°F oil. Do not crowd; the mushrooms should have room to float freely.
8. Fry 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes, nudging them apart with a spider or slotted spoon after the first minute, until the crust is set, blistered, and pale gold. Lift one out and tap it — it should sound hollow and hard. Transfer to the wire rack (never paper towels, which trap steam) and salt immediately with flaky salt.
9. Let the oil climb back to 375°F between batches — about 1 minute — and re-whisk the batter briefly, since the cornstarch settles. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms.
10. For a shatteringly crisp finish, return the whole batch to the oil for a 45-second second fry at 375°F once the last batch is done. Drain on the rack, shower with parsley, and serve right away with the cold comeback sauce and lemon wedges.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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