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deep-fried shiitake mushrooms in a sweet and sour sauce
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4.80 from 25 votes

Beoseot Gangjeong (Sweet Crispy Mushrooms)

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
2 hours
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian, Korean
Keyword: mushrooms, Pork, sweet and sour sauce, beef, deep-fried, shiitake, sweet and sour sauce
Servings: 4
Author: Hyosun

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms See note
  • 1/4 bell pepper red, orange or yellow or a combination
  • 1/4 cup potato starch or cornstarch
  • oil for deep frying

Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste)
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar (rice wine vinegar or any other clear vinegar)
  • 2 tablespoons rice syrup (jocheong, 조청), corn syrup, or oligodang (올리고당) or 1 to 1.5 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine (or mirin)

Instructions

  • Soak the dried mushrooms until they are plump and tender. This will take over 2 hours depending on the size of the mushrooms.
  • Squeeze out the water from the soaked mushrooms, and then cut the mushrooms into quarters (or halves if small). Cut the peppers into small pieces.
    Soak mushrooms and bell peppers being cut
  • Add the potato (or corn) starch to the mushrooms, and massage them well to coat evenly.
    shiitake mushrooms coated with starch
  • In a pan, add all the sauce ingredients, and stir well. Bring it to a boil. When it starts to bubble, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until it thickens slightly, about 4 minutes.
    sweet and sour sauce
  • Add oil to a heavy bottom pan, about 1/2 inch high. When the oil is sufficiently hot (about 320°F), drop the mushroom pieces in one at a time. Cook until light golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
    deep frying mushrooms
  • Remove and set them on a wire rack or a paper towel-lined plate.
    deep-fried mushrooms
  • Reheat the oil to 320°F. Deep fry again until golden brown, about a minute.
    deep frying mushrooms
  • Heat the sauce over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and peppers, and stir well until the mushroom pieces are evenly coated.
    deep-fried mushrooms in a sweet and sour sauce

Notes

You can use fresh shiitake mushrooms for this dish if you want. Look for thick, meaty ones. 
King mushrooms are a great substitute for shiitake mushrooms. You can even use a combination of shiitake and king mushrooms if you want.