Lion’s Mane Mushroom “Crab” Cakes
Pan-fried lion’s mane mushroom “crab” cakes, designed as a vegetarian alternative with clean flavour and a firm, crab-like texture.
Ingredients
- 225 g lion’s mane mushroom torn into strands
- 30 ml water
- 30 g full-fat mayonnaise
- 1 large egg
- 0.5 tsp light soy sauce or mushroom soy
- 1 tsp sambal oelek about 1 tsp, or to taste
- 30 Spring onions very finely sliced
- 2 tsp fresh coriander cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 small garlic clove about 3 g, finely grated or crushed
- Zest of 1 lime
- 25 g panko breadcrumbs
- 0.5 g white or black pepper ¼ tsp
- 1 g fine salt plus more to taste
- 30 ml neutral oil for pan-frying
Instructions
- Tear the lion’s mane into chunky strands. Add to a wide pan with 30 ml water and 1 g salt. Cover and cook over medium heat for 4–6 minutes, stirring once, until wilted and sitting in released liquid.
- Tip into a bowl and cool until warm. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible using your hands or a clean tea towel.
- In a bowl, mix mayonnaise, egg, soy sauce, sambal, spring onions, coriander, garlic, lime zest, pepper, and a small pinch of salt.
- Fold in the squeezed mushrooms, then mix in the panko until the mixture holds when pressed. Rest 10–15 minutes.
- Shape into 4 patties. Heat 30 ml oil in a non-stick or cast-iron pan over medium heat until shimmering.
- Fry for 3–4 minutes on the first side until deeply golden, flip carefully, then fry 2–3 minutes on the second side until browned and set. Rest 1 minute before serving.
Notes
If you don’t have panko, use 18–20 g regular dried breadcrumbs, then adjust after resting. If sambal isn’t available, use a pinch of chilli flakes or 1–2 tsp mild chilli sauce, tasting as you go. This recipe is vegetarian and dairy-free, but not vegan (egg and mayo) and not gluten-free (panko/soy unless you swap to GF versions). I have not tired it using “flax eggs”, and I don't think it would work as “flax eggs” do not set when cooking the same way real eggs do Storage: Refrigerate cooked cakes for 2–3 days and reheat in a lightly oiled pan over medium heat to restore the crust. The uncooked mixture can be held in the fridge for up to 24 hours before shaping and frying. Freezing isn’t ideal for texture; if you do freeze cooked cakes, thaw in the fridge and reheat in a hot pan or oven rather than the microwave.