Vegan Calamari

THESE ARE SO GOOD!

I have been wanting to make these for so long. I used to absolutely love calamari and with this recipe, you won't even miss the fact that there are no squids in this one. I finally perfected the batter, it is crispy, light, and flavourful and I can't wait for you to try it!

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Makes: 6 appetizer-sized servings

Ingredients:

• 3 large king oyster mushrooms

• sea salt

• 1/3 cup plant milk, I use oat

• 1.5 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• ⅓ cup cornstarch

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon dry oregano

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• neutral-tasting oil (I use canola or vegetable)

• 1 lemon cut into wedges to serve

Vegan Tzatziki:

• 1/2 cup vegan unsweetened, plain yogurt (i like Silk almond)

• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 cup grated cucumber

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 1/2 tsp salt

• pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Wash oyster mushrooms and pat dry. Cut a small portion of the rough ends off and discard. Continue to slice 1/2 inch slices of the stem to create circles. Leave about 2-3 inches of the stem attached to the cap. From that point on, peel and shred the mushroom stem lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick pieces. The less uniform the better. Peeling works best as opposed to cutting so that the mushroom can shred in a natural way with the fibres.

2. In a medium bowl, stir 1 teaspoon sea salt in with the plant milk and the apple cider vinegar and let sit.

3. Add the shredded mushroom and rings to the milk mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. Make the Vegan tzatziki - Shred the cucumber and squeeze out the excess liquid over the sink or in a clean towel. Mix the Vegan yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, sea salt, pepper, and shredded cucumber. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference. Set aside in the fridge.

5. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, oregano, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne until fully mixed.

6. Heat 1-2 inches of oil in a small cooking pot or a saute pan on low. To test your oil, drop one oyster mushroom ring, if it immediately starts to bubble, it's ready. Make sure to turn on your vent.

7. Using a pair of tongs, take a portion of the oyster mushroom rings (about ½ of them) shake off excess milk and toss the mushroom rings in the flour mixture. Toss the mushrooms to coat evenly, shaking off the extra and add it piece by piece to the cooking oil. Fry for roughly 3 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Repeat with the rest of the oyster mushrooms.

8. Turn your oven on a low - 150 F. Prepare a large baking sheet and set a wire rack on top.

9. Remove the oyster mushrooms from the oil and arrange them on the wire rack. Immediately season with sea salt, then transfer to your warm oven to keep warm while you work on the rest. Repeat until you have fried all the oyster mushrooms.

10. Transfer the fried vegan calamari to a serving plate with the tzatziki and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice!

Tag me on Instagram if you make this recipe so I can feature you.

@KaitlynDickie