Crispy Lion's Mane Bites
A pan, half an inch of oil, and ten minutes of marinating in spiked buttermilk. Hand-torn lion's mane fries up cracklingly golden on the outside with that uncanny tender-chicken pull on the inside — the kind of bite that empties the platter before anyone asks what it is. Serve hot, with whatever dip you'd put next to wings.
The method
Tear, soak briefly in spiked buttermilk, dredge in a cornstarch-spiked flour for extra crackle, fry in shallow oil. The cornstarch is the secret — it's what turns the coating from breaded to properly crisp.
Marinate in spiked buttermilk
Toss the torn lion's mane with the buttermilk and hot sauce in a bowl. Let it stand 10 minutes — this seasons the mushroom and gives the dredge something to cling to.
12 minutesWhisk the dredge
In a wide bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper until evenly combined and free of lumps.
2 minutesHeat the oil
Pour about ½ inch of neutral oil into a heavy skillet and bring to roughly 350°F / 175°C. A wooden chopstick dipped in should bubble steadily.
5 minutesDredge and fry
Lift the pieces from the buttermilk, letting excess drip off. Press each piece into the seasoned flour so the coating adheres in craggy patches — those are the crispest bits. Shake off any loose flour and fry in batches without crowding, 3–4 minutes total, turning once, until deeply golden and crisp.
8 minutesDrain, salt, serve hot
Transfer the fried pieces to a paper towel-lined tray and season immediately with flaky salt while they're still glossy with oil. Serve straight away with whatever dip suits the crowd — ranch, hot honey, sriracha mayo, or just lemon wedges.
2 minutes
About the Lion's Mane
Lion's mane has a seafood-meets-mushroom flavour and a uniquely fibrous structure — torn into bite pieces, the strands separate and crisp up around a tender inside that reads remarkably like fried chicken. Pristine white when fresh; pull apart for crab cakes, slice for steaks, tear small for bites like these.
More on our mushroomsNotes & tips
Plant milk + vinegar = buttermilk
Stir 1 teaspoon of cider or white vinegar into a cup of unsweetened plant milk and let it sit a couple of minutes — it'll curdle slightly and stand in for buttermilk perfectly here. The cornstarch in the dredge handles the rest of the crackle.
Sauce options that earn their keep
Ranch is the obvious one. Hot honey (honey + a few dashes of hot sauce, microwaved 10 seconds) sticks beautifully. Sriracha mayo (3:1 mayo to sriracha + a squeeze of lime) plays well with the smoked paprika in the coating.
Double-dredge for extra crackle
For maximum crunch, dredge the pieces, dip them back into the buttermilk briefly, then dredge a second time. The double coat fries into thicker, craggier crust — bordering on Korean fried chicken territory.
