The first time I had portobello fries, I was in downtown Tampa at a restaurant called Gin Joint. After my first bite I was in love and knew I had to recreate them!
Soaked in buttermilk and lightly fried in a beer batter and then dipped in a tangy aioli… They are seriously a dream!
You can have them as an appetizer or use as a Taco Tuesday filling, either way you will crave these! And yes, you can bake them instead of frying and they will taste just as good!
The Lemon Garlic Aioli is a magical creamy sauce with a bright lemony tang and a savory garlic flavor that you will want to dip everything in from chips to veggies to any meat.
Ingredients
Portobello Fries
- 4 Portobello mushrooms, about 1 pound, stems and gills scraped out, cut into 1/2-inch strips
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1 can beer (preferably lager or pale ale)
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup white cornmeal
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying (about 2 ½ cups)
Lemon Aioli
- ½ cup Mayo
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 small shallot, chopped
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 zest of a lemon
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
- 1 teaspoon chopped Italian parsley
Instructions
Make the aioli: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until blended. Set in the refrigerator.
Prepare the mushrooms: In a shallow pan, soak the mushroom strips in the buttermilk, about 1 hour.
Make the batter: In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, beer, flour, parmesan cheese, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and the cayenne.
Fill a skillet with the vegetable oil; heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F or drop a crumb in and it sizzles.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter.
One at a time, dip the mushroom strips in the batter, then carefully lower into the hot oil. (Do this in batches if necessary-do not crowd the pot.) Fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, turning with tongs. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Sprinkle with sea salt and serve with the garlic lemon aioli.
Whisk Away Kitchen 