Buffalo Mushrooms with Blue Cheese Dip

Serves 4

Time 1 hour plus marinating

Ingredients

Mushrooms

400g oyster mushrooms,

250ml buttermilk

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp cayenne pepper

Sea salt and cracked black pepper

150g plain flour

50g cornflour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp garlic, chopped

Oil for deep frying

Buffalo Sauce

60g unsalted butter

80ml hot sauce

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp white vinegar

Blue Cheese Dip

100g blue cheese, crumbled

100ml sour cream

50ml mayonnaise

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped

Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Method

In a bowl, mix the plain flour, cornflour, baking powder, a pinch of salt and a little extra paprika. Toss the mushrooms in the flour mixture until well coated.

In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk with smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, chopped garlic, sea salt and black pepper. Add the mushrooms, mix to coat, cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours in the fridge. Then add the mushrooms back into the flour and coat, readying for frying.

Heat oil in a deep pan to 180°C. Fry the mushrooms in batches for 3–4 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel and season lightly with sea salt.

For the buffalo sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, then stir in the hot sauce, brown sugar and vinegar until smooth. Keep warm.

For the dip, blend or stir together the blue cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice and garlic until smooth. Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Toss the fried mushrooms in the warm buffalo sauce until evenly coated. Serve immediately with the blue cheese dip on the side.