Fried Oyster Mushroom Tacos

I don’t have much to say, except that these are probably my best tacos yet. I foraged a nice haul of fresh oyster mushrooms the day before cooking up the tacos. For the tomatillo chile-arbol salsa, I had the pleasure of using my homegrown tomatillos. The tortillas are also scratch-made; for that I like Bon Apetit’s recipe. The seasoned pinto beans were inspired by a recipe found in Joe Yonan’s Cool Beans. Needless to say, everything tasted incredibly fresh. Even if you don’t use your own homegrown or foraged goodies, I guarantee that these tacos will blow your mind. 

Serves 3-4

• 1/2 pound fresh oyster mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp cloth, large pieces torn into halves
• Neutral vegetable oil, for frying
• Corn starch, for dredging
• Salt and pepper, for seasoning
• Feta or queso blanco, crumbled (optional)
• Tortillas, fresh or store-bought, to serve

For the tomatillo chile-arbol salsa:

• 8 tomatillos, husked
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 dehydrated arbol chiles
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• A pinch of brown sugar (optional)

For the seasoned beans:

• 1 can cooked pinto beans and liquid
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoon lime juice

To make the salsa: Preheat the oven to 400. Toss the tomatillos and garlic cloves with the olive oil and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Transfer them to a baking tray and roast until the tomatillos are ready to burst and the garlic develops color, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a saute pan over high heat. Add the chiles to the dry pan and toast them for a few minutes on each side, until the chiles darken and become fragrant. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Once cooled, transfer all the ingredients to a blender and process with a pinch of salt and sugar (optional) briefly to combine. Taste for seasoning and set aside. 

To make the beans: Heat the oil a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, along with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has sweated and cooked down, about 7 minutes. Add the beans, liquid, and spices to the pan and stir to combine. Allow the beans to cook through for about 7 minutes. Mash half of the beans in the pan using a spatula or potato masher. Remove the pan from the heat. Season with salt to taste and finish with lime juice. Set aside. 

To fry the oyster mushrooms: Add enough neutral vegetable oil to a heavy-duty pot to cover the bottom by 2 or three inches. Heat the pot over medium-high heat until it registers 350. You can also test whether the oil is ready without a thermometer by throwing in a piece of mushroom or onion; the oil is not hot enough if the food scrap sinks. Obviously if the oil is smoking, then it is too hot. Meanwhile, combine 1/3 cup cornstarch with a sprinkle of salt to make the dredge.

When the oil is ready, working in batches, dredge the mushrooms in the cornstarch and drop them carefully into the oil. Allow them to fry in the oil, turning them over occasionally, until golden brown, about a minute or so. Transfer the fried mushrooms to a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Continue in batches until all of the mushrooms are fried. Finally, toss the fried mushrooms in a dash of salt and pepper to season, and set aside.

Serve with fresh tortillas and cold beer.