Vegan mushroom "crab" cakes
Made with chicken of the woods mushrooms!
Vegan mushroom “crab” cakes
Time: 1 hour | Difficulty: 3/5 | Yield: 4 “crab” cakes
Chicken of the woods mushroom is one of the coolest foraged mushrooms around. It’s a dense, pink mushroom that can carry a lot of flavor and adapt to almost any type of cuisine you put it into! For that reason, it makes a great substitute for things like chicken, lobster, or crab. I like to think of these like a veggie burger, or paneer masala—not a dupe of an original, but tasty and special in its own right. I can’t say if these vegan “crab” cakes actually taste like crab cakes, given that I’ve never eaten a crab cake myself. But I can say that they taste delicious just as they are!! NB: if you don’t have vegan mayonnaise (which is made with aquafaba instead of eggs), feel free to use regular mayo.
Ingredients/tools:
Chicken of the woods mushroom (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chickpea or all-purpose flour
Lemon juice
Spices: Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili flakes
Panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil
Blender
Method:
As with all foraged mushrooms, wash the chicken of the woods mushroom very well (feel free to even soak it if there’s any caked on dirt). Then chop the mushroom into big chunks.
Set a pot of water to boil. Once it’s boiling, add in the mushrooms, and boil for about 10 minutes.
Drain the mushrooms. Then add to a blender, and pulse until the mushrooms have achieved a shredded consistency, but not yet smushed into a paste.
Tip the shredded mushrooms into a bowl, and add the spices, mayonnaise, mustard, flour, and a splash of lemon juice. Stir to combine. Taste a tiny amount and adjust any seasonings as needed.
Tip the breadcrumbs into a separate bowl, and add a touch of salt.
Roll about a quarter of the mushroom mixture between your hands, and lightly smush it into a thick coin shape. Roll the patty in the panko breadcrumbs, making sure to roll along the sides, and set aside. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
Heat about a 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a pan. When the oil is hot (you can test with a small amount of the mushroom mixture or a breadcrumb—when it sizzles, it’s ready), add in the mushroom cakes, and fry until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes on each side.
Serve with more salt if needed, and some coleslaw and potato chips!!
