Portobello fries with basil aioli

Jason Hotchkiss
Encontro, San Diego

Portobello mushrooms are soaked in milk, dusted in rice flour and then fried, resulting in a light, tempura-like crust. Basil aïoli is the ideal dipping sauce, but ranch dressing makes a worthy alternative.

Ingredients

Basil aïoli
1 quart mayonnaise
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced fresh Italian parsley
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. minced shallots
1/2 tbsp. minced fresh basil
1 tsp. minced fresh tarragon
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Portobello fries
3 medium portobello mushroom caps
1 cup milk
Canola oil, for frying
1/2 cup rice flour
1 tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tbsp. grated fresh Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

For aïoli: Blend ingredients together in a blender until combined. Aïoli can be refrigerated up to 6 days. (Note that leftover aïoli is an excellent substitute for ranch dressing.)

For fries: Remove gills and stems from underside of mushrooms and trim edges off. Slice mushrooms into
3/4-inch strips. Place milk in a large bowl and soak mushrooms for 1 hour.

Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees. Place rice flour in a bowl. Remove mushrooms from milk, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Dredge in rice flour, shaking off excess.

Working in batches, place breaded mushroom slices in hot oil and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Toss with parsley, Parmesan, salt and pepper, and serve with basil aïoli.