Ingredients
Ingredients, Shopping List amounts, and highlighted step quantities follow your servings. Keep temperatures, piece sizes, and cooking times as written; larger batches may need more pans. Check any flagged step against the ingredients.
Check off ingredients as you prep.
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup hot sauce, plus 2 tablespoons for serving
- 1 heaping tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 large lemon, zested and juiced to yield 3 tablespoons juice, divided
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh dill, tarragon, or a combination
- 12 ounces oyster and maitake mushrooms
- 1 cup cornstarch, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 can (12 fluid ounces) plain seltzer or sparkling water, thoroughly chilled
- 3 cups neutral cooking oil, or enough to reach 1 inch deep in the pot
- 1/2 teaspoon Salted Perfection SWEET GINGER as an optional upgrade, or 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 medium firm tomato, thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
- 4 soft burger buns, split
Allergen check: Wheat, Soy recognized in these ingredients. Check package labels and substitutions.
Step by step
- Make the dressing first. In a large bowl, whisk the honey, 1/4 cup hot sauce, ginger, Dijon, lemon zest, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until smooth. Fold in the parsley and dill. Set it aside while you handle the mushrooms.
- Separate the mushrooms into sandwich-size clusters with bases about 1/2 inch thick. Trim away any tough ends, but leave enough stem to hold each cluster together. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan for draining.
- Combine 1/2 cup cornstarch with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a shallow bowl. Toss the mushrooms in batches until every surface has a thin, even dusting; shake off the loose starch and place them on a tray.
- In a second bowl, whisk the flour, remaining 1/2 cup cornstarch, baking powder, remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- Pour the oil into a Dutch oven or other heavy pot, keeping the pot no more than one-third full. Heat over medium-high to 350°F. Adjust the burner as needed to keep the oil between 340°F and 355°F while frying.
- Right before frying, pour the cold seltzer and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice into the flour mixture. Stir gently just until no dry pockets remain. A few lumps are fine; beating it smooth knocks out the bubbles and gives you a heavier coat.
- Working in three or four batches, dip the starched mushrooms into the batter and let the excess drip off. Lower them carefully into the oil without crowding the pot. Fry for 4 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until deeply golden, rigid at the edges, and crisp all over. Return the oil to 350°F between batches, then drain the mushrooms on the rack.
- While each batch is still hot, season it with the optional 1/2 teaspoon Salted Perfection SWEET GINGER divided across all batches, or use the measured kosher salt alternative. Just before assembly, toss the mushrooms briefly with enough dressing to glaze them without drowning the crust.
- Warm the buns on a dry griddle or in a 300°F oven until soft and lightly toasted. Layer each bottom bun with dressed mushrooms, tomato, red onion, the remaining hot sauce, and romaine. Add the top buns and serve immediately while the crust still has some swagger. DUNZO!
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A little more about this recipe
Timing
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield & storage
Original yield
Storage
For the best texture, store the fried mushrooms, dressing, vegetables, and buns separately. Refrigerate mushrooms and dressing in airtight containers for up to 2 days. Reheat undressed mushrooms in a 400°F air fryer or convection oven for 5 to 8 minutes, then glaze and assemble. Fully assembled sandwiches do not store well because the crust softens.
From Tony’s kitchen
Oyster and maitake mushrooms get a light, craggy seltzer crust, then a quick hit of hot honey, ginger, lemon, and fresh herbs. Stack them on warm buns with tomato, red onion, and romaine. Spicy, sticky, crisp where it counts—the whole operation makes sense.
Nutrition • per serving
Ingredient notes
Ingredients & allergen check
Major-allergen signals: Wheat, Soy
- Honey
- hot sauce, plus for serving
- heaping tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- Dijon mustard
- lemon, zested and juiced to yield juice
- soy sauce
- freshly ground black pepper
- loosely packed chopped fresh parsley
- loosely packed chopped fresh dill, tarragon, or a combination
- oyster and maitake mushrooms
- cornstarch
- kosher salt
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- plain seltzer or sparkling water, thoroughly chilled
- neutral cooking oil, or enough to reach 1 inch deep in the pot
- Salted Perfection SWEET GINGER as an optional upgrade, or kosher salt
- red onion
- firm tomato
- romaine lettuce
- soft burger buns, split
Sweet Ginger blend: Sea salt, Ginger
Check every package label. Brands, substitutions, shared equipment, and cross-contact can change allergen exposure.
