If you can top rice with almost anything to create an Asian-style one bowl meal, you can do the same with congee. And while egg and boiled chicken or meat are the most popular congee toppings, I have discovered that crispy toppings make congee even more exciting.

Of course, the idea of using crispy toppings for congee is not new. In Chinese cooking, it’s not unusual to find fried wonton skins or tofu, or both, in a bowl of congee. Delicious, really. The interplay of textures with every spoonful makes a delightful mouth feel.

But wonton skins and tofu are both bland. What if the crispy element in my congee were more flavorful? And what if there was something else beyond the crispiness? Deep fried battered oyster mushrooms are lightly crisp on the surface but subtly chewy inside. Wouldn’t that make a better topping for congee?

If you intend to serve this for breakfast, the best way to cook the congee is in the slow cooker, overnight, using the lowest setting. For more about cooking congee, see the linked post below.

How to cook congee (rice porridge) minus the myths

What rice variety is best for cooking congee? Which is better for cooking congee: water or broth? What is the ideal proportion of rice to liquid? Should congee be cooked over low or high heat?

In theory, just about any mushroom can be battered and fried, and used as topping for congee. But oyster mushrooms, the variety used here, are unique because they have plenty of crevices to catch the batter and make it stick better. For two standalone recipes for cooking crispy mushrooms, see below.

Mushroom fries (battered crispy oyster mushrooms)

Oyster mushrooms are tossed with seasonings, starch and egg, and deep fried. Mushroom fries are light and crisp, and outrageously good. Perfect snack or finger food to go with your cocktails.

Crispy fried mushrooms and basil

Cooked a la Taiwanese popcorn chicken, fresh oyster mushrooms take the place of meat in this recipe. Serve this ovo-vegetarian dish as a snack or finger food.

Congee with crispy mushrooms

Connie Veneracion

Use fresh mushrooms. Rehydrated dried mushrooms are difficult to dry. And you need your mushrooms to be free from surface moisture to make sure that they turn crisp during frying.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine Asian

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

Crispy mushrooms

500 grams fresh oyster mushrooms
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 large egg
¾ to 1 cup corn starch
½ teaspoon baking powder
cooking oil for deep frying

Complete the dish

8 cups cooked congee (the link goes to full instructions)
finely sliced scallions
aonori
spicy furikake

Instructions

Fry the mushrooms

Tear large mushrooms vertically into two to three portions.
Place all the mushrooms in a large mixing bowl and toss with the salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, beat the egg then pour into the bowl with the mushrooms. Mix well to coat each piece of mushroom with egg.
Whisk together half of the starch with the baking powder and dump into the bowl with the egg-coated mushrooms.
Mix to distribute evenly. The mixture should be a bit wet. If too wet (that can happen if the egg is quite large), you may add more starch, a tablespoon at a time.
Heat the wok. Pour in enough cooking oil to reach a depth of at least three inches at the center.
When the oil reaches 350F, fry the oyster mushrooms in batches until golden and crisp.
Drain the cooked mushrooms on a rack or shallow strainer, cook the next batch, and so on, until all the mushrooms have been fried.