SANDRA'S ALASKAN BEER BATTERED MUSHROOMS with GRUYERE CHEESE

My husband and I had a similar appetizer 
at a local eatery
so I just had to replicate them, 
and these
Beer Battered Mushrooms 
with Gruyere turned out identically yummy...

Servings: (6)
Prep: 10 mins. |
Cook 10 to 15 mins.

Posted by Sandra

INGREDIENTS

Note: Allow mushrooms to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking, as cold mushrooms tend to condensate upon removed from refrigerator.

2 lbs. medium button mushroom, stems intact, cleaned with a dry paper towel
--(batter does not stick to wet mushrooms, so do not rinse with water)
peanut oil, for frying
¼ cup gruyere cheese, grated (or swiss cheese)
1 teaspoon freshly chopped parsley

Local
Alaskan Brewing Company
'Alaskan Summer'
Ale

***Beer Batter:
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted through a sieve
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning blend
1 bottle dark beer, cold (I use Alaskan Beer ;-)

---Serving options:
-Lemon wedges
-Ranch dressing, for dipping sauce
--(See recipe here: Ranch Dip or Dressing)

METHOD

Place a ovenproof serving platter in the oven at 275 degrees to warm.

Pour about 2 inches of oil into a deep fryer or electric skillet, and heat to 375 degrees.

Meanwhile, make the beer batter by sifting the flour and baking powder through a sieve into a medium bowl. Add the kosher salt, ground pepper, garlic and onion powders, paprika, italian seasoning, and beer, whisking until smooth.

Don’t over crowd the pan, and fry in batches. Begin by ‘lightly’ dipping dry mushrooms into batter, then carefully immerse into hot oil. Fry the mushrooms for a total of about 8 to 10 minutes, flipping half way through, until they are evenly golden brown. Drain the mushrooms on a paper-towel lined plate.

Meanwhile, remove the warmed serving platter from the oven, and turn the oven up to 350 degrees. Place hot mushrooms on warm platter and sprinkle with shredded gruyere cheese. Place in oven for a couple of minutes, just until cheese is slightly melted. Remove from oven, and warn guests that the platter is hot, sprinkle with parsley, and serve with lemon wedges, individual forks and plates, and small bowls filled with ranch dressing for dipping. Squeeze lemon over mushrooms, eat while hot. ~ Enjoy!


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Tip: Thinner batter makes for a lighter coating, and thicker batter makes for a heavier coating (all batter recipes may vary depending upon humidity in your area – so adjust to your liking by adding more beer to thin it, or more flour to thicken.) Also, this batter is very good for deep-frying onion rings and veggies, such as zucchini, broccoli, etc.