Combs Tooth Mushroom Karaage
With Salted Plum Mayo

Here is another izakaya-inspired small plate, featuring the delicious and ever-so-beautiful combs tooth mushroom. Karaage is akin to Japanese chicken poppers, often accompanied by a side of silky mayonnaise. I first tested this recipe using chicken of the woods mushrooms, to much success. They had soaked up the marinade so nicely, while retaining a chewy-chicken-like texture even after frying. I love combs tooth mushrooms for their almost alien-like beauty. Frying them karaage-style has proven to be one way to preserve their gorgeous coral contours. Try them both, if you can.

Check your local Asian grocery store for Japanese or Vietnamese salted preserved plums. They’re worth it for dishes like the Maitake Umeshiso Maki, and this!

For the mushroom marinade:

• 1/4 cup mirin
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoon red or white miso paste
• 1 tablespoon rice or malt vinegar
• 1 tablespoon date nectar, maple syrup, or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dou bian jiang or some other chili oil
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• A handful of fresh combs tooth mushrooms, swirled in cold water to remove debris and broken into bite-size clusters

For the dredge:

• 1 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• Grapeseed, peanut, or canola oil, for frying

For the salted plum mayonnaise:

• 5 preserved salted plums, minced, seeds removed
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 teaspoon dijon
• 1 heaping tablespoon lemon juice
• 46g quail or chicken egg yokes and whites
• 1 cup grapeseed oil

To marinate the mushrooms: Whisk together all of the marinade ingredients until thoroughly combined. In a sealable container, pour the marinade over the mushrooms and set aside for a minimum of 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.

To make the mayonnaise: Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a food processor or blender and pulse to combine. With the motor running, very slowly drizzle in the grapeseed oil until the mayonnaise is completely emulsified. Set aside.

To fry the mushrooms: Whisk together the dry dredge ingredients to form the dredge. Preheat a pot or wok with frying oil until it registers a temperature of 375 degrees. Working in small batches, dredge the marinated mushrooms in the dry mixture, making sure to coat the mushroom completely, and fry until the mushrooms develop a bit of color, about 2 minutes. Transfer the fried mushrooms to a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Repeat until all of the mushrooms are fried.

Serve and eat immediately with the salted plum mayo.