VEGAN CALAMARI
CRISPY FRIED PLANT BASED SQUID
WITH DELICIOUS DIPPING SAUCES
MADE FROM MUSHROOMS OR KONJAC
If you think I’m kraken jokes in saying vegan calamari is better than using squid
..you’d be inkorrect. For this recipe you can use fresh mushrooms, store-bought vegan frozen konjac based calamari substitutes (check below for my recommendations) or meet in the middle by using marinated mushroom calamari. Whichever your choice, all you have to do is crumb and fry the calamari substitute until crispy!
Really, the hardest part of making this dish is trying to maintain eye contact while calling it calamari as you serve it up knowing full well that it’s technically not (calamari means squid in Italian).
It’s not exactly like calamari, but only because it’s way better with perfectly meaty mushrooms or remarkably squidy konjac which are both much easier to catch than squid. So, take the path of least resistance and read on about all the different ways you can make vegan calamari with the texture & flavour you might miss without using the tentacles someone else might miss, too.
What can I use instead of squid?
The simplest option is fresh mushrooms. Oyster and pearl mushroom clusters can be torn into small chunks for this recipe, or king oyster mushrooms can be cut in strips or rounds for a similar effect. If using king oyster mushrooms, you can get the ring calamari effect by cutting the stems into rounds, then using a water bottle or similar to stamp out the centre of each round to form a ring.
Store-bought options are just as easy to use. Nature’s Charm produce a lovely tinned vegan calamari that’s shelf-stable for storage and pre-marinated for convenience and extra flavour. It’s also made from mushrooms but comes in calamari shaped rings so they’re very easy to use to get the full experience in a few simple steps.
Lastly, if you’ve gone to a nice restaurant and enjoyed vegan calamari, then you’ve likely had konjac based calamari that is available to find and use yourself in the frozen section of mamny large asian supermarkets. It has the most realistic texture given it is cut it into a tentacle like shape, and konjac has a naturally rubbery texture and fishy flavour that works brilliantly here. For this product, defrost it and cut into strips before crumbing and frying for this recipe.
How can I serve it?
It’s a great appetiser served just with flaky salt and lemon wedges which is pretty bang on a classic Italian version.
The next step up is with a dipping sauce. The obvious way to go is tartar sauce! It’s really just vegan mayonnaise (I’ve got a brilliant recipe for you below that’ll make you break up with your fave store-bought version) mixed with pickles, dill, mustard, capers and lemon juice mixed in.
For any doubters, this classic accompaniment to seafood will definitely complete the plant based oceanic experience. From my trove of homemade sauces, I’ll also serve vegan calamari with smoked aioli (great for Spanish meals!) or alongside tzatziki style mayonnaise (for a Greek twist).
You can find crispy fried mushrooms like this (not masquerading as seafood, funnily enough) all throughout Thai cuisine, so it makes perfect sense that this recipe goes great alongside Thai food. I’ve enjoyed it served as a salad with a spicy-sweet-sour sauce poured over the top. You can also serve fried mushroom or konjac calamari atop som tam (spicy green papaya salad) or with a fresh pad thai just like they make in Thailand.
Too light for you? I got you. Bang the sauce and crispy mushroom calamari in a long bun with the tartar sauce, a sneaky sheet of nori and a pinch of Old Bay Seasoning to make this fried mushroom sandwich tell your taste buds that they’re enjoying a fried seafood sandwich. You won’t miss the real seafood and they won’t miss you either. The very simple recipe for using these in a vegan fried calamari sandwich (inspired by the New Orlean’s Po’Boy) is included below, too.
Mushroom Po’Boys for my first cookbook ‘Vegan Junk Food’ photographed by Pete Dillon.
An array of the mushrooms I like to use as photographed for The Vegan Butcher by Emily Weaving. From left to right, I’ve used saffron milk caps (pine mushrooms), snowflake mushrooms, shiitake, lion’s mane, pearl mushrooms, slippery jacks, king oyster mushrooms and oyster mushrooms to make mock meats.
Serves about 4 to 6 people as an appetiser.
Vegan Calamari
Ingredients
- 300 g (10 ½ oz) oyster or king oyster mushrooms
- (or 2 tins marinated calamari from Nature’s Charm, drained)
- (or 300 g frozen konjac calamari like Lamyong's, defrosted and sliced)
- Canola or vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- lemon wedges, to serve
- 150 g (5 ½ oz/1 cup) plain flour
- or 125 g (4 ½ oz/1 cup) cornflour (corn starch)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 250 ml (8 ½ fl oz/1 cup) soy milk
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or white vinegar
- 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) soy milk
- ¾ teaspoon vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon American or Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 185 ml (6 ½ fl oz/¾ cup) canola oil or other neutral-flavoured oil
- 230 g (8 oz) dill pickles (gherkins), finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill fronds, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon Dijon or American mustard, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon caper brine, or to taste
- Old Bay seasoning
- 2 baby cos or gem lettuces, leaves washed
- 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 4 long crispy bread rolls, sliced
- 1 nori sheet cut into 4 rectangles
- Tartar sauce
Instructions
- Tear any larger oyster mushrooms into bite-sized pieces. If using king oyster mushrooms, use a vegetable peeler to slice the stalks into thin strips or cut them into rings to look like calamari. If using frozen konjac, defrost and cut into slices. If using marinated Natures' Charm calamari, simply drain.
- Make a basic buttermilk by combining the soy milk and lemon juice or vinegar in a large bowl. Set aside for a few minutes to thicken. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt and pepper. Meanwhile, heat the canola oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium–high heat. Test if the oil is ready by inserting a wooden skewer or the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil; if it begins to bubble quickly then you’re ready to go.
- Dip the calamari pieces into the buttermilk, then fully coat in the seasoned flour, gently shaking off any excess. If you allow the mushroom to sit between flouring and frying, you’ll need to re-flour them, as the moisture from the mushroom will seep into the dry coating.
- Working in small batches, fry the mushroom for 2–3 minutes, until just beginning to brown. Transfer to a large plate lined with a paper towel to drain and sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately with tartar sauce, your favourite dipping sauce or with nothing but lemon wedges and salt because it really doesn’t need much else.
- Start with a basic mayonnaise by placing all the ingredients except the oil in a tall plastic jug or pyrex measuring glass. Blend with a stick blender for 20 seconds or so, until frothy.
- With the stick blender running, slowly pour in the oil in a steady stream for 1–2 minutes, until you have an emulsified and thick mayonnaise. Stir in the dill pickle and dill then gradually add the remaining ingredients, tasting and adjusting the flavour as you go until you reach a balance you are happy with.
- Once the mushrooms are fried, season immediately with Old Bay Seasoning. Lightly toast the inside of each roll, then place the lettuce and tomato on the bottom half of each roll and top with the fried mushroom. Place the nori strips on the other cut side of the rolls and generously spread the tartar sauce over the nori. Close the roll halves together and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
573.29Fat
34.25 gSat. Fat
3.01 gCarbs
59.59 gFiber
7.35 gNet carbs
52.25 gSugar
11.9 gProtein
11.49 gSodium
466.95 mgCholesterol
0.63 mgCalculated using all ingredients including sauce and served as 4 po'boys.
Crispy and crunchy vegan calamari made simply by tearing up clusters of pearl and oyster mushrooms that have the perfect texture inside for your plant based seafood cravings. This batch is served with tzatziki mayonnaise from Vegan Junk Food by Zacchary Bird.