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Close up of deep-fried enoki mushrooms showing crunchy batter clusters and a garnish of scallions and sesame seeds.

Fried Enoki Mushrooms: The Ultimate Crispy Tempura Cluster

Achieve restaurant-quality Fried Enoki Mushrooms at home with this fanned-out, golden-brown, bubbly tempura recipe. Served with a translucent dark brown dipping sauce and garnished with scallions and sesame seeds.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian, Japanese-Inspired
Calories: 210
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 7 oz fresh enoki mushrooms (200g) Base trimmed but kept intact so they fan out.
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour (60g)
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch (30g) Helps inhibit gluten for a crispier shell.
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder (2.5g) Creates the bubbly texture.
  • 0.75 cup ice-cold sparkling water (180ml) Must be ice cold for the thermal shock effect.
  • 2 cups vegetable or canola oil (475ml) For deep frying.
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce (30ml)
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar (15ml)
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil (5ml)
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar (4g)
  • 1 tbsp green scallions (5g) Finely chopped for garnish.
  • 1 tsp white sesame seeds (3g) Toasted, for garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 Heavy-bottomed Pot or Dutch Oven Essential for maintaining steady oil temperatures.
  • 1 Deep-fry thermometer Used to monitor the 350°F (175°C) frying temperature.
  • 1 Wire spider skimmer Safely removes the delicate clusters from hot oil.

Method
 

Preparation and Frying
  1. Trim about 1 inch (2.5cm) off the very bottom of the enoki mushroom cluster to remove dirt, keeping the base intact. Gently pull the top halves apart to fan out the individual caps.
  2. In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Right before frying, pour in the ice-cold sparkling water and mix loosely with chopsticks. Lumps are perfectly fine.
  3. Heat 2 cups (475ml) of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 350°F (175°C).
  4. Dip one fanned enoki cluster into the batter, ensuring it is thickly coated. Lower it flat into the hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes, flipping once, until a golden-brown, bubbly, crispy crust forms. Transfer to a wire cooling rack.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and granulated sugar until the sugar dissolves. Pour into a small round ramekin.
  6. Place the crispy mushrooms on an off-white ceramic plate. Scatter the finely chopped green scallions and toasted white sesame seeds across the crispy batter surface. Serve immediately with the translucent dark brown dipping sauce.

Notes

Tip 1: Keep the sparkling water as cold as possible for the crispiest batter.
Tip 2: Never drain fried tempura on paper towels; always use a wire rack to prevent soggy bottoms.