Sweet-Funky Lion's Mane Riblets
Plant-based riblets that hit every note — sweet, salty, funky, garlicky, spicy, and crisp at the edges. Lion's mane gets pressed in cast iron until it's dense and meaty, then marinated, dredged, fried, and tossed in a glossy red glaze built from its own marinade. The cucumber slices on the side aren't optional — they're the cool, crunchy reset between bites.
* The vegan fish sauce is the backbone — don't sub plain soy.
The method
Three things make these riblets work: pressing the mushrooms hard so they go dense and steak-like, building a marinade that's sweet, salty, funky, and garlicky, and reducing that same marinade into the sticky glaze at the end. Mise en place matters — once the frying starts, it moves fast.
Clean and trim the mushrooms
Gently pull the lion's mane apart from the base, trying to keep larger pieces intact. Trim any tough or substrate-covered bits from the bottom. Don't wash unless you have to — brush or lightly wipe if dirty.
5 minutesPress and sear
Heat a cast iron pan over medium with a little neutral oil. Place mushrooms stem-side down and let them sear briefly before pressing — you want browning, not steaming. Set a second heavy pan on top and press gently as moisture cooks off. Flip, repeat. Keep going until the mushrooms are dense, flat, golden in spots, and meaty-looking. Don't season yet — the marinade will do that. Set aside to cool.
15 minutesMake the garlic water
Put the sliced garlic in a small bowl with a pinch of salt. Pour just enough hot water over to cover. Let it sit 5 minutes, then strain — keep the garlic water for the marinade, pat the garlic dry on paper towel, and reserve it for frying later.
6 minutesWhisk the marinade
In a bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar, strained garlic water, vegan fish sauce, soy sauce, beetroot powder, and a sliced Thai chili. Taste carefully — it should be sweet, salty, funky, garlicky, and slightly spicy. Add more vegan fish sauce if it needs depth.
3 minutesSlice and marinate
Cut the pressed mushrooms into thick strips, like riblets or steak fingers. Place in a shallow container, pour the marinade over, and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface so they stay submerged. Refrigerate at least 1–2 hours, or overnight for stronger flavour.
60 minutesFry the garlic
Add the reserved garlic to a small pan with enough neutral oil to shallow-fry. Start cold — garlic and oil together over medium-low — and stir as it heats so it browns evenly. Pull when golden and crisp; it goes from perfect to burnt fast. Strain and reserve. Keep the garlic oil if you want to fry the mushrooms in it.
5 minutesDrain and coat
Lift the mushrooms from the marinade — keep the marinade for the glaze. Gently squeeze so they're not dripping. Mix the potato starch and gluten-free flour in a bowl, dredge each piece, and shake off the excess.
5 minutesFry the riblets
Heat oil to about 350°F / 175°C (a wooden chopstick should bubble steadily when dipped in). Fry in batches — don't crowd the pan — for a few minutes per batch, until the edges are crisp and lightly golden. The mushrooms are already cooked; you're just chasing the crust. Drain on paper towel. If you want to hold them, a 350°F oven keeps them crisp while you finish the glaze.
10 minutesReduce the marinade to a glaze
Pour the saved marinade into a pan and bring to a simmer over medium to medium-high. Reduce until glossy, sticky, and syrupy — it should shine and coat instead of running. This is sugar-heavy, so watch it closely and never taste or touch it while boiling. Hot sugar burns badly.
8 minutesToss and finish
Add the fried riblets to the hot glaze. Toss in the crispy garlic and sliced Thai chilies. Toss quickly until every piece is coated in the sticky red lacquer. Plate immediately with sliced cucumber alongside.
2 minutes
About the Lion's Mane
Lion's mane has a unique seafood-meets-mushroom flavour and a dense, fibrous structure that holds up to high heat and aggressive pressing — exactly what this dish needs to land on something steak-like. Pristine white when fresh; pull apart for crab cakes, slice for steaks, or strip into riblets like these.
More on our mushroomsNotes & tips
Oysters can stand in
Pressed lion's mane is ideal, but large oyster clusters or king oyster petals will also work — they need the same press-and-sear treatment to get to a riblet-like density.
Don't skip the vegan fish sauce
The vegan fish sauce is what makes this dish taste restaurant-level — that salty, funky, fermented backbone is doing most of the work. Plain soy sauce alone won't get you there.
Overnight in the marinade
Marinate the sliced riblets overnight for the deepest colour and flavour. The frying and glazing only take 15 minutes the next day, so it's a perfect dinner-party move.
