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King oyster mushrooms are quite the centrepiece: relatively meaty and receptive to big flavours. Paired with a vibrant glaze spiked with sweet blackberries, tart pomegranate molasses and savoury soy sauce, every bite balances the richness with sharp, fruity acidity. But first some tangy, fresh fritters, celebrating fresh corn with an earthy base of gochujang, which works brilliantly against the lime pickle yoghurt. Creamy, crisp and the perfect treat.
Gochujang corn fritters with lime pickle yoghurt
These can be made vegan by swapping the yoghurt for a plant-based alternative. Don’t have access to fresh corn? Use tinned, making this a true pantry rustle-up.
Prep 15 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 3-4 as a light lunch
2 corn on the cob, kernels stripped off, or 1 standard 198g tin sweetcorn, thoroughly drained and patted dry
3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced (about 40g net)
20g fresh coriander, roughly sliced, plus extra to garnish
Salt
60g plain flour
20g cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp gochujang
Neutral oil, for frying
For the lime pickle yoghurt
200g full-fat Greek yoghurt
1-2 tbsp Indian lime pickle, roughly chopped
1 lime, half juiced, the other half cut into segments to serve
Put the corn, spring onions and coriander in a large bowl with a pinch of salt and, using the back of a wooden spoon, roughly crush some of the kernels.
In a second bowl, whisk the flour, cornflour and baking powder, then add the gochujang and 100ml cold water, and whisk until smooth and slightly thick. Add this to the corn bowl and fold in, until the corn is well coated; if the mixture seems a bit too thick, add an additional 10-20ml water to loosen.
To make the lime pickle yoghurt, gently mix the yoghurt, chopped lime pickle and lime juice, then adjust the seasoning, if need be.
Pour a couple of centimetres of neutral oil into a large frying pan on a medium-high heat. Test the oil’s temperature by dropping a little bit of the corn batter: it should sizzle and bubble immediately. Drop spoonful-sized dollops of the batter into the oil – they will naturally spread a bit, so try not to poke them too much – and cook for one to two minutes on each side, until deeply golden. They may look a bit overcooked, but remember the dark colour is also coming from the gochujang. Drain the fritters on kitchen paper and salt immediately while still hot.
Serve on top of the lime pickle yoghurt, garnished with the lime segments and remaining coriander leaves.
King oyster mushrooms with a blackberry, pomegranate and soy glaze and a chive and butter bean mash
The velvety bean mash and golden pangrattato can be made up to two days in advance, turning this into a fast, stress-free weeknight dinner. To make this vegan, simply swap the butter and soured cream for plant-based alternatives.
Prep 15 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 2
3-4 large king oyster mushrooms
2 tbsp neutral oil
30g unsalted butter
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with a knife
1 rosemary sprig
150g blackberries
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp soy sauce
For the pangrattato
1 slice stale sourdough
1 tbsp olive oil
4-5 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
Flaky sea salt For the butter bean mash
2 400g tins butter beans, drained, reserving 30-40ml of the liquid
30g unsalted butter
50g soured cream, or full-fat greek yoghurt
20g fresh chives, finely chopped
To make the pangrattato, tear up the sourdough and pulse to crumbs in a food processor. In a small pan, heat the olive oil, add the crumbs and fry, stirring, for two to three minutes, until golden brown. Turn off the heat and toss in the thyme leaves and a pinch of flaky salt. This will now keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.
Cut the mushrooms in half lengthwise, then, using a small, sharp knife, lightly score the flat surface of each one in a crosshatch pattern.
Put the butter beans, reserved bean stock and butter in a small saucepan, and cook for three to five minutes, until hot. Add the soured cream, blend with a stick blender to your desired consistency – I like a slightly chunkier mash– then fold in the chopped chives and season. Cover and keep warm.
Put two tablespoons of neutral oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat. Lay in the mushrooms cut side down and leave to cook undisturbed for three to four minutes, until there’s a golden crust on the scored surface. Flip over, add the butter, smashed garlic and rosemary sprig, then tilt the pan and baste the mushrooms with the foaming butter for a few minutes. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a plate, and discard the aromatics.
Turn down the heat to medium and add the blackberries, soy sauce and 50ml water to the pan. Use the back of a spoon to gently crush the berries, then leave to bubble for a few minutes. Stir in the pomegranate molasses and cook for one to two minutes longer on a low heat, until very syrupy.
Spoon a generous amount of butter bean mash on to two plates, followed by the mushrooms. Spoon the blackberry sauce on top and garnish generously with the pangrattato. Serve with a rocket, watercress and lemon salad, if you like.
