My crispy Lion’s Mane Schnitzel is a gluten-free vegetarian dish that’s paired with a flavorful Cherry Pepper Mayo to boot!
I thought up this recipe idea with the Agape Mushroom team a couple months back while grabbing some of their fresh lion’s mane. They recommended I sear the mushrooms between two pans first to help release moisture prior to breading and frying which helped caramelize the steaks nicely. Thanks for the tip!
Slow and steady wins the race on this one. You want to make sure the mushrooms have released most of their moisture before moving on to the breading step or they’ll turn out too thick and juicy. Flip every 5-7 minutes and continue to press down on the top pan until you’ve achieved the thickness you’re after (~¼″). Add more oil to the pan when needed in order to keep the searing even.
I decided to use Bob’s Red Mill Potato Flakes in lieu of traditional bread crumbs which not only makes this recipe gluten-free but also creates an extra-crispy crust. I’m so pleased with how these turned out!
Thanks again for the lion’s mane mushrooms and inspiration, Agape!
Notes:
- If you can’t find dried potato flakes then instant mashed potatoes will also work as a gluten-free option. There are generally more ingredients in those so make sure to read labels carefully for any food sensitivities.
- If you’re interested in cooking brussels sprouts as a side, I wrote out how-to instructions for my Coconut Shrimp Recipe.
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Ingredients
Lion’s Mane Schnitzel
- Lion’s Mane
- Olive oil + more if needed
- Salted butter
- Eggs
- Potato flakes
- Tapioca starch
- Salt & pepper to season Lion’s Mane
- Lemon wedges for serving
Cherry Pepper Mayo
- Cherry peppers
- Mayo
- Chives
- Brine from cherry peppers
- Garlic powder
- Salt & pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Combine Cherry Pepper Mayo ingredients together in a bowl and set aside. Trim the bottom of the lion’s mane so that the mushroom steaks lay flat.
Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil on med-high. Add lion’s mane and let cook for a couple minutes.
Place another pan on top of the mushrooms and rest for a couple more minutes.
Start to gently press down on the top pan with a gloved hand occasionally to help release moisture (~5 min).
Season steaks with salt & pepper then flip and repeat on the other side, pressing a little more firmly (~5-7 min). Season again then continue to flip/cook down until mushrooms are roughly ¼″ thick, adding more oil to the pan when needed.
Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and create a breading station by spreading tapioca starch on a plate, whisking eggs in a shallow bowl, and spreading potato flakes on another plate.
Coat the mushroom steaks starting in the starch, followed by the egg, ending with the potato flakes.
Heat ¼ cup olive oil on med-high and add lion’s mane in a single layer.
Cook until browned and crispy (~2 min) then flip and repeat on the other side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
Serve warm with a side of mayo and lemon wedges for garnish.
Recipe
Lion’s Mane Schnitzel w/ Cherry Pepper Mayo
Ingredients
Lion's Mane Schnitzel
- 2 lbs lion's mane
- ½ cup olive oil + more if needed
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Potato Flakes
- ½ cup tapioca starch
- salt & pepper to season
- lemon wedges to serve
Cherry Pepper Mayo
- ⅓ cup cherry peppers
- 3 tablespoon mayo
- 2 tablespoon chives
- ½ teaspoon brine from cherry peppers
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Combine Cherry Pepper Mayo ingredients together in a bowl and set aside. Trim the bottom of the lion's mane so that the mushroom steaks lay flat.
- Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil on med-high. Add lion's mane and let cook for a couple minutes.
- Place another pan on top of the mushrooms and rest for a couple more minutes.
- Start to gently press down on the top pan with a gloved hand occasionally to help release moisture (~5 min).
- Season steaks with salt & pepper then flip and repeat on the other side, pressing a little more firmly (~5-7 min). Season again then continue to flip/cook down until mushrooms are roughly ¼" thick, adding more oil to the pan when needed.
- Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and create a breading station by spreading tapioca starch on a plate, whisking eggs in a shallow bowl, and spreading potato flakes on another plate.
- Coat the mushroom steaks starting in the starch, followed by the egg, ending with the potato flakes.
- Heat ¼ cup olive oil on med-high and add mushrooms in a single layer.
- Cook until browned and crispy (~2 min) then flip and repeat on the other side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Serve warm with a side of mayo and lemon wedges for garnish.
Notes
- Slow and steady wins the race on this one. You want to make sure the mushrooms have released most of their moisture before moving on to the breading step or they’ll turn out too thick and juicy. Flip every 5-7 minutes and continue to press down on the top pan until you’ve achieved the thickness you’re after (~¼″). Add more oil to the pan when needed in order to keep the searing even.
- If you can’t find dried potato flakes then instant mashed potatoes will also work as a gluten-free option. There are generally more ingredients in those so make sure to read labels carefully for any food sensitivities.
