Before plant-based restaurant Black Leaf closed its doors earlier this year, head chef Grace Stubbs served some banging vegan calamari that was a huge hit with both carnivores and herbivores alike.
To celebrate National Vegetarian Week, Grace has very kindly gifted us her step by step guide on how to perfect her 100% vegan take on the popular fish dish, and it’s not as complicated as you may have once thought.
The ingredients are fairly simple, as is the process – but you will need a deep fat fryer, to make sure the ‘calamari’ is crisped to perfection.
Grace Stubbs’ Vegan Calamari
Ingredients (Calamari Batter)
- 4 Nori Sheets (blitzed)
- Chopped Dill
- 200g Plain Flour
- Cider
- 2tsp baking powder
- King Oyster Mushrooms
Firstly, combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk in the cider until you have a smooth, even batter.
Then, you’ll need your King Oyster Mushrooms! Cut the mushroom stalks into 1cm thick pieces and slice a circle in the middle.
Once prepared, you’ll then want to marinate them in the Calamari Broth to emulate that rich, fishy flavour.
Ingredients (Calamari Broth)
- 1 litre of warm water
- 2 sheets of Nori
- 1tbsp of White Miso Paste
- 1tbsp of Agave Syrup
- 4tbsp of Soy Sauce
Mix all of these ingredients in a deep tub then pop in your mushrooms to soak for 20-30 minutes.
Once ready and soaked, simply drop the mushrooms into the batter, coating them evenly on both sides and pop into a deep fat fryer! Fry until golden brown.
Grace’s new venture is pop-up vegan offering Boneless Brigade, who you can follow right here:
