Almost Chicken, King Trumpet Style

Shredded king oyster mushroom seared in butter until the edges go deep gold, carried by a poultry-seasoned marinade that argues its case as chicken. Plant-based comfort food built to fool the fork - crispy outside, tender and pully within.

Serves 4 · as served on Bluesky ↗

There's a trick with king oyster mushrooms I picked up watching my daughter's college roommate cook one Thanksgiving when the turkey never showed up from the butcher. You slice the stem thick, drag a fork down the grain, and it splits into strands that shred out looking and pulling just like a chicken thigh. I'm building the flavor around a bouillon-and-poultry-seasoning marinade so the mushroom drinks in that savory backbone before it ever sees the skillet. Then it gets seared hard in butter and olive oil till the edges go crispy and caramelized, the way you'd want a good pan-fried cutlet to go. A squeeze of lemon right at the end wakes the whole thing up. This one's for anybody chasing the comfort of a chicken dinner without the chicken - close enough to fool your fork.

Ingredients

Fresh

• 1½ lb king oyster mushrooms (trimmed)
• 1 piece lemon (halved)
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish)

Fridge

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

Pantry

• 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon paste
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Spice rack

• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• black pepper

Directions

1. Trim the ends off the king oyster mushrooms and slice into thick medallions, then drag a fork down the length of each piece so it splits into long strands, then sprinkle with kosher salt and set aside while you mix the marinade.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vegetable bouillon paste, nutritional yeast, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, soy sauce, and water into a loose, pourable paste.
3. Add the mushroom shreds to the marinade and toss until every strand is coated, then let it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes to soak up the flavor. ⏱ 20 min
4. Melt the unsalted butter with the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until the butter foams, then lay the marinated mushroom strands in a single layer and press down lightly with a spatula.
5. Sear undisturbed for about 4 minutes, then flip and sear the other side another 4 minutes, until the edges go deep golden brown and crisp like a good pan-fried cutlet. ⏱ 8 min
6. Pull the pan off the heat, squeeze the lemon over everything, then season with black pepper to taste.
7. Scatter with the fresh parsley and serve hot, piled onto plates or tucked into buns like you would a pulled chicken sandwich.

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