A few days ago, I found an incredible amount of Pleurotus mushrooms at the local market near my house, beautiful, large, and meaty, a temptation I couldn’t resist! This type of mushroom, like champignons, is much more economical and versatile than their Porcini cousins, not to mention their deliciousness, especially when prepared as cutlets! Yes, you heard right, the size of their cap makes these mushrooms visually perfect for this recipe, transforming them into a valid and tasty meat alternative within a vegetarian diet! Preparing mushroom cutlets, in fact, is a breeze, and in no time you’ll serve a main course to accompany any side dish you desire or a finger food within an appetizer! Few ingredients and the secret to an ultra-crispy breadcrumb coating will make this dish a success on every occasion! You can decide whether to fry the mushrooms by immersing them in hot oil or cook them in the oven, as I did, for a lighter and more digestible version! Simple, ultra-crispy, and delightful, they’ll be gone in no time!
If you’re a mushroom lover, try these easy and super tasty recipes too:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, and it won’t cost you anything extra!
- 1.3 lbs Pleurotus mushrooms
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp milk
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fine breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup coarse homemade breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- to taste herbs (basil, mint, and parsley)
- to taste garlic powder
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- lemon zest (untreated)
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting board
- 2 Tea towels
- 3 Bowls
- 1 Fork
- 1 Baking tray
- 1 Parchment paper
Steps
First, clean the mushrooms by removing the base with a small knife and gently scraping away any remaining soil.
Gently rub the entire surface with a clean and slightly damp tea towel.
Finally, to remove any pathogens on their surface, rinse them quickly under a stream of running water, massaging them with your fingers and avoiding prolonged contact, so they don’t absorb too much water. Then, immediately dry them with a dry and clean tea towel.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the two types of breadcrumbs, the grated Parmesan, the garlic powder, the lemon zest, the mix of herbs, and a sprinkle of pepper, then mix well.
In a second bowl, break the eggs and mix them quickly with the milk and a pinch of salt using a fork.
In a third bowl, pour the flour.
Dip the mushrooms on both sides, first in the flour, shaking off the excess.
Dip them now in the egg and milk mixture, using the fork.
And finally in the breadcrumb mix, pressing to adhere the coating well.
Continue in the same way with all the other mushrooms. Place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and drizzle the cutlets with a little oil. Bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for 25-30 minutes or until nicely golden.
Serve immediately hot, but even cold the next day they are excellent!
And voila… the Pleurotus mushroom cutlets are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 Pleurotus mushroom cutlets can be stored in the fridge, in suitable refrigeration containers, preferably glass, for 2-3 days.
Tips, notes, variations, and suggestions
🟣* Rinsing a few mushrooms at a time allows for effectively removing any soil or dirt residues without having to keep the mushrooms “soaking” for too long.
🟣 For an even tastier version, instead of baking, you can fry the mushrooms as follows: set a large-bottomed pan on the fire and heat 1 liter of seed oil. For perfect frying, the ideal temperature is between 338°F and 356°F, checking it with a food thermometer. Alternatively, simply immerse a wooden toothpick in the hot oil; if it bubbles, it means it’s ready for frying! Fry a few mushrooms at a time for a few minutes on each side until golden brown. When done, drain the mushrooms with a slotted spoon and place them on a tray lined with absorbent paper to remove excess oil. Serve them! Or try them in an air fryer at 320°F for about 24 minutes.
