This breaded mushroom recipe turns fresh porcini into something irresistibly crisp and golden. With just breadcrumbs, parsley and hot oil, they’re proof that the best mushrooms need very little embellishment.
In parts of Italy where porcini appear with reliable generosity, mushroom season has a rhythm all of its own. Baskets are carried into the woods early in the morning, examined proudly in the afternoon light, and discussed at length over a glass of wine. Fresh porcini are treated with a kind of quiet reverence, and the first rule, more often than not, is not to overcomplicate them.
There is a time for slicing them raw and dressing them with olive oil, and a time for folding them gently through pasta. And then there is a time for frying.
Funghi impanati, or breaded mushrooms, sit comfortably in that third category. Thick slices of firm, white-fleshed porcini are coated in flour, dipped in egg, rolled in breadcrumbs scented with garlic and parsley, and lowered into hot oil until the crust turns deeply golden. The outside becomes audibly crisp, while the interior stays tender and almost meaty, the flavour concentrated rather than masked.
To serve, the rule of thumb is to keep it simple. Porcini have such a strong, distinctive flavour, you don’t want to mask it with unnecessary sauces. A dipping pot of mayonnaise and a torn ciabatta in the centre of the table is all the accompaniment these breaded mushrooms need.
Breaded Mushrooms | Funghi impanati
➤ SERVES: 4
➤ PREPARATION: 10 minutes
➤ COOKING: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 medium-sized fresh porcini mushrooms (about 500g)
- 3 free-range eggs
- 50g plain flour
- 200g breadcrumbs
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 4 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 litre sunflower oil, for frying
- Mayonnaise and ciabatta for serving
Method:
- Beat the eggs. Sprinkle the flour onto a large plate. In a separate bowl, add the breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley and salt. Mix well and set aside. Clean the mushrooms and carefully slice them lengthways with a sharp knife, about ½cm thick. Try to keep the mushroom slices intact.
- Heat the oil in a large deep-sided frying pan. Check the temperature with a sprinkling of the breadcrumb mix. It should rise and bubble immediately. Carefully pat each mushroom slice on both sides in the flour, dip into the eggs, then coat in the breadcrumbs. Drop into the oil and fry. Depending upon the size of the pan, you might have to cook the mushrooms in batches. Fry until golden and crisp on both sides, turning with a couple of forks.
- Drain on a tray with kitchen paper. If the oil is the right temperature, they should be golden, crisp and crunchy. Once they’re all cooked, add a final sprinkling of ground sea salt.
- Serve immediately at the centre of the table with a bowl of mayonnaise and strips of crunchy ciabatta bread.
Try your hand at this ciabatta recipe
Recipe by Mario Matassa