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    Home » Wild Mushroom Recipes

    Mushroom Tempura

    Published: Apr 6, 2024 Modified: Apr 7, 2024 Author: Alan Bergo

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    Crisp and perfectly crunchy with a sauce that adds just enough flavor, but not too much. A classic mushroom tempura is a lesson in elegant, minimalist cooking. If you're like me, after you learn the basics you'll want to get creative. Think of the batter as a blank canvas for your favorite seasonal ingredients.

    Morel mushroom tempura with basswood leaves, ramp soy dipping sauce and fried fiddleheads on a plate ready to eat.
    Spring morel and fiddlehead tempura with basswood leaves and ramp soy.

    The Best Mushrooms For Tempura

    This is the perfect place for small-bite sized button mushrooms, but you can use just about any mushroom you like as long as they're clean. Each season has different possibilities in shape, size and texture. In the off-season, thinly sliced king oysters or tempura shiitakes are a good choice.

    Shiitake mushrooms in a bowl.
    Shiitakes are a good choice for the off-season.

    Enoki and thinly sliced pheasant backs are a good version for spring. You can use morels as pictured in this post but they need to be cooked for ten minutes to be safe, and you'll need to monitor the heat carefully.

    Blonde morel mushrooms in Minnesota growing in the spring.
    Unfortunately these morels are too dirty to use.

    One of the best versions I've had was whole black trumpet mushrooms and perfect, young chanterelle buttons. Although they shrink a bit, this can be a decent recipe for gem puffballs (Lycoperdon perlatum) which are what I used for the instructional images in this post.

    Gem studded puffballs (Lycoperdon perlatum) in a bowl ready to cook.
    Gem studded puffballs (Lycoperdon perlatum).

    Chef Tips

    The burn scars are gone, but my early years on fryer station taught me important lessons. Tempura is finicky and more nuanced than something like French fries. Here's the best advice I have:

    • I typically clean wild mushrooms with water. This recipe is the rare exception and the mushrooms must be as dry as possible. Mushrooms harvested after a recent rain shouldn't be used either.
    • You can add different ingredients like sliced kabocha squash, cut in thin slices so they cook quickly.
    • The tempura batter must be extra cold. The chef trick is keeping the batter in a metal bowl placed in another bowl filled with ice. Metal transfer hot and cold faster than plastic and won't let you down.
    • If you can, use carbonated water in the batter.
    • Some don't, but I toss ingredients with flour or cornstarch before frying to help the batter adhere.
    • Using a toothpick or skewer to transfer the mushrooms to the oil for the best crust.
    • Keep the temperature constant by gradually adding battered ingredients. Crowding the pot will lower the temperature and can cause ingredients to clump together.
    • Pick a few edible weeds to garnish the plate for the most attractive presentation.
    Dipping mushroom tempura into dipping sauce with chopsticks.
    A few edible weeds or greens add color to the plate.

    How to Make Tempura Mushrooms

    First you make a simple batter of water, flour and egg. I use this tempura recipe at home, but I'm including the gluten free tempura recipe I used in restaurants in the recipe notes too.

    Make sure to sift the flour and only mix the batter until barely combined. If it's beaten too much gluten develops which alters the crust.

    You'll need to heat the oil with a high heat candy thermometer for the best result. I couldn't live without the one I use. If you can find it, rice bran oil is one of my favorite high smoke point oils for frying.

    Heating oil for frying with a candy thermometer.
    Heating oil with a candy thermometer.
    Tossing gem puffball mushrooms lightly in flour before frying. Tossing mushrooms lightly in flour before frying.
    Tossing mushrooms lightly in flour before frying.
    Using a toothpick to remove mushrooms from tempura batter.
    I use a toothpick to remove mushrooms from the batter.

    Add the mushrooms one at a time to the batter to prevent lowering the temperature of the oil too much. I often fry tempura mushrooms a little longer than vegetable tempura recipes call for to make sure the crust is crisp and crunchy.

    Adding tempura mushrooms to oil with a toothpick.
    Adding tempura mushrooms to oil with a toothpick.
    Puffball tempura frying in a pot of oil.
    Frying mushrooms after gradually adding them to the batter.
    Draining fried puffball tempura mushrooms on a paper towel.
    Draining fried mushrooms on a paper towel.

    When mushrooms are crisp and light golden brown drain them quickly on a paper towel for a moment. You'll need to add a pinch of paprika to the batter for it to take on any noticeable color.

    I like to serve tempura on a bed of fresh greens-whatever I can scrounge up. It's a good use for jumbo nasturtium leaves or edible weeds from the yard.

    Morels are wonderful tempura fried but need longer cooking. than other mushrooms
    Morels are wonderful tempura fried but need longer cooking than other mushrooms.

    Tentsuyu, the traditional tempura dipping sauce is just soy mixed with sugar, mirin and dashi. I like to use maple syrup instead of sugar.

    While it wont work for every recipe, vegetable stock works as a dashi substitute in a pinch. If you have some of my fermented ramp soy sauce this is a great place to use it too.

    Tempura puffball mushrooms and kabocha squash on a plate next to a dipping sauce in a bowl with a plate garnished with nasturtium leaves.
    Kabocha squash and puffball tempura was a fun fall version.

    Besides just mushrooms, small young greens like nettles, hop shoots, fiddleheads and asparagus can add variation in flavors and textures. Herbs like shiso or basil leaves are a nice touch too.

    Related Posts

    • Fermented Ramp Soy Sauce
    • Zavirne: Southern Italy's Fried Angelica Blossoms
    • Crispy Baked Oyster Mushrooms
    Close up image of tempura mushrooms on a plate garnished with nasturtium leaves and dipping sauce.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 4 votes

    Mushroom Tempura

    Simple tempura fried mushrooms served with a mild maple-soy dipping sauce.
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time20 minutes mins
    Course: Appetizer, Mushroom Snack
    Cuisine: Japanese
    Servings: 4 People
    Calories: 311kcal
    Author: Alan Bergo
    Cost: 5

    Equipment

    • 1 heavy 2 quart sauce pot for deep frying
    • 1 Toothpick or skewers
    • 1 Medium mixing bowl
    • 1 Candy thermometer
    • 1 Small baking sheet

    Ingredients

    Mushrooms

    • 8-16 oz Fresh mushrooms morels, puffballs, shiitakes, etc.
    • 2 cups Frying oil like rice bran oil, grapeseed, or peanut oil.

    Tempura Batter

    • 1 large Egg chilled
    • 1 cup All purpose flour plus a pinch for coating the mushrooms.
    • 200 ml ice cold water, ideally soda water (¾ cup plus 4 teaspoons)
    • ½ teaspoon sweet paprika for color

    Dipping Sauce (optional)

    • 2 Tbsp Mirin
    • 2 Tbsp Soy sauce
    • 2 Tbsp Maple syrup
    • 2 Tbsp Dashi vegetable stock or even water can be used in a pinch.

    Instructions

    Dipping Sauce

    • Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small mixing bowl and reserve. It should taste light and mellow and is meant to compliment the mushrooms rather than overpower them.

    Tempura Batter

    • Sift the flour and measure out one level cup. Beat the egg into the water in a metal mixing bowl, then mix in the flour gently until barely combined.
    • Put the bowl of batter into a bowl filled with ice or ice water and refrigerate until it's time to cook.

    Mushroom Tempura

    • Look over the mushrooms and make sure they're clean. If they're not perfectly clean use them for another purpose or dehydrate them.
    • It's important the mushrooms are roughly the same size for the most even cooking. They can be thinly sliced, thickly sliced or whole depending on the type you have.
    • Using a candy thermometer in a heavy bottomed pot suitable for frying, heat the oil on medium high heat until it reaches 350 F. You can test the temperature the oil by putting a chopstick in it, when it bubbles, it's ready.
    • Meanwhile, toss the mushrooms with a pinch of flour to lightly coat them.
    • Add the mushrooms to the tempura batter and mix gently until just coated.
    • Working in small batches, gently pick the mushrooms out with a toothpick or long skewer, allow excess batter to drip off. Gently dip mushrooms in the oil, waiting for a moment for the crust to set before adding more to the pot.
    • When the mushrooms are light golden and crisp, about 3-4 minutes, remove and drain on a paper towel lined baking sheet and serve on a bed of fresh greens with the sauce.

    Video

    Notes

    Small Batch Frying 
    2 cups of oil is the smallest batch of tempura I'd make and it requires cooking in 2-3 batches. Using 4 cups of oil and a slightly wider pot will cut the cooking time in half. 
    Restaurant tempura is often light colored. To get the mushrooms a dark golden brown you'll need to fry them longer, from 5-10 minutes depending on personal preference. 

    Rice Flour Gluten Free Tempura Batter 

    From my restaurant files. The rice flour gets wonderfully crisp. 
    • 8 oz white rice flour
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 cups soda water
    •  3 teaspoons cooking oil
    •  1 tablespoon paprika, for color, optional 
    Combine the dry ingredients. Beat the water, oil, and egg yolks then gently mix with the dry ingredients and reserve for service. Keep the batter very cold by keeping it in a metal bowl placed over a bowl of ice. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2oz | Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 614mg | Potassium: 285mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 191IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg
    « Mica Cap Mushroom Sauce
    Old Fashioned Turnip Green Soup with Black Eyed Peas »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Timothy Baxendale

      April 14, 2024 at 9:09 am

      Any chance you have a good tempura batter for serving vegans? I know eggs have so many wonderful binders so finding a replacement that also doesn't discolor greatly is not easy.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        April 14, 2024 at 9:10 am

        I’d suggest using the flax seed egg.

        Reply
    2. Mike Moranz

      April 07, 2024 at 2:59 pm

      My favorite is battered Lobster mushrooms. They have taste, texture, and even look like shrimp, and can even fool those who don't like mushrooms.
      I see you have little puffballs in your article and I would caution people to not fry them whole. I have seen steam explosions that throw the hot oil right in your face. I now make sure I cut all of them in half.

      Also, the above comment about suckers brings back memories. We speared them and pickled or smoked with skins on. It's quite a challenge standing perfectly still on a sandy/gravel shoreline or dock for 10-15 minutes. They even spot you walking along shore! You can find them by listening for spawning splashes at night when the lake is flat and calm or slowly and quietly cruise the sandy/gravel weed free shorelines during the day in a clear lake. Ugly outsides but nice white flesh.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        April 07, 2024 at 5:46 pm

        Hey thanks Mike, I'm going to add them to the list. I've done the puffballs whole like this a few times and I know Hank Shaw has too without issue. Good to know about the oil though.

        Reply
    3. Fred Clement

      April 06, 2024 at 10:52 pm

      Hey Alan can you add a Pinterest button so I can save your recipes! Thanks Fred

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        April 07, 2024 at 5:49 pm

        Fred thanks for the reminder. I've neglected Pinterest for years and I know a lot of people use it. I'm going to ask my tech babysitters to add a plugin for a Pinterest button on Monday.

        Reply
    4. Christine

      April 06, 2024 at 1:37 pm

      I like that little skewer-in-cork hack! I put corks under the handles of my metal pot lids so I don't burn myself (as much) and I imagine this also gives that same protection along with an easier grip.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        April 06, 2024 at 1:41 pm

        Oh yeah. I use that as thermometer. Some chefs use metal cake testers. Stick it in a roast and touch it to the tip of your lip and you can teach yourself temperatures. Use it to poke vegetables and fish to see if they’re done too, and lots of other things.

        Reply
    5. Gilbert

      April 06, 2024 at 12:14 pm

      5 stars
      In the previous century when a person could catch 10 lbs or more smelt with one scoop from the right stream at the right time on Lake Superior, smelt tempura with mushroom carrot spring onions in the same batter was a frequent meal. I understood that eggs and wheat flour soaked up oil. Used tapioca starch instead. In that period my neighbors got a sucker trap permit from the DNR. Sucker spawning on inland lakes followed smelt. Cut out back strap fingers for more tempura!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        April 06, 2024 at 12:20 pm

        Oh of course, I forgot about adding fish.

        Reply
    5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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