Mala Flower Mushroom Recipe

Recipe from community member, Stasia de Tilly (@kowloonbaby_).

1. Trim the flat head of the trumpet mushroom and cut in half crosswise. (Pro tip: Keep your mushroom scraps for later!)
2. Place one stem in between two chopsticks. The chopstick will be your guide so you don’t cut through the stem. With a sharp knife, criss-cross the mushroom and stop slicing before your knife meets the chopstick. Repeat the same step with remaining stems.
3. Fill a pot with 4 cups of water and set it on high. Once it comes to a boil, season with salt. Carefully drop in the mushrooms, uncut side down, into the hot water. Boil while submerging occasionally until they turn from white to grayish, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Remove from boiling water, allow to cool, then gently squeeze each stem to remove excess water.
5. In a bowl, add corn starch and season with salt, black pepper, and white pepper. Mix well and coat mushrooms, making sure to get the dredge into all the creases.
6. Fill a heavy bottom pot with oil and heat it to 325° F. To check if the oil is ready, drop in a small piece of mushroom, if it sizzles then the oil is at temperature.
7. Carefully drop in 1 to 2 mushrooms into the hot oil, the bottom side goes in first, and fry until golden brown, 3 minutes. Reduce heat slightly and flip mushrooms, frying for 3 minutes on the other side. Remove and set aside on a paper towel lined plate to drain.
8. In a skillet over medium-low heat, add your Omsom starter and 2 tbsp. neutral cooking oil and whisk until just combined. When it starts to gently bubble, remove from heat and add fried mushrooms. Toss until completely coated. Garnish with scallions and enjoy!