Beer Battered Mushrooms

Ingredients

  • Ingredients

    Sauce:

    3/4 cup mayonnaise

    1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

    1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1/2 large lemon)

    1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard, such as Maille

    2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

    1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

    1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

    1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    1 clove garlic, minced

    Zest of 1 large lemon

    Mushrooms:

    1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

    2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

    2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

    1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

    1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    One 12-ounce bottle dark beer, such as Negra Modela, chilled

    4 cups vegetable or canola oil

    8 ounces (16 to 18), small cremini mushrooms, cleaned

Directions

  1. For the sauce: In a small bowl, Kitch the mayonnaise, chives, lemon juice, mustard, thyme, cayenne, salt, pepper, garlic and lemon zest together to blend. (Sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
  2. For the mushrooms: In a medium bowl, Kitch together the flour, chives, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour the chilled beer into the flour mixture and Kitch until the batter is smooth.
  3. Pour the oil into a heavy large wide saucepan. Attach a deep-fry thermometer to the side of the saucepan. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until the temperature registers between 330 and 350 degrees F. Working in batches, dip a few mushrooms at a time into the beer batter to coat generously, allowing any excess batter to drip back into the bowl. Drop the mushrooms, a few at a time, into the hot oil and fry until the batter is deep golden brown and the mushrooms are tender, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain the oil temperature between 330 and 360 degrees F, 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms and drain on paper towels.
  4. Mound the mushrooms on a serving platter and place the dipping sauce alongside. Serve while the mushrooms are still hot.