Vegan Fish Fillets

INGREDIENTS

• 300g oyster mushrooms (or white shimeji)
• 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour (or rice flour)
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of kelp powder or nori powder (optional)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour for coating the fishless filets

Vegetable oil for frying

TARTAR SAUCE

• 1 cup vegan mayo
• 1½ tbsp sweet pickle relish or finely minced pickles and a pinch of sugar
• 1 tbsp minced onion
• 2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together until well combined.

DIRECTIONS

1. Shred the oyster mushrooms and add them to the food processor along with the salt, kelp, and lemon, pulse it 3 or 4 times, scrape the sides and pulse it twice more.
2. Add the flour, pulse it 3 times, scrape the sides if necessary, pulse it twice more.
3. Make the shapes you prefer then coat them with the flour
4. Add a layer of cling film to a plate, place the filets on the plate and put itbin the freezer for at least 20 minutes
5. Remove the fishless filets from the freezer and immediately fry them in hot oil, 3 minutes per side on medium heat.

Serve it with lemon wedges and your favorite sauce!

IMPORTANT:

1. Can be frozen for up to 3 months, however those CANNOT be thawed out or microwaved, you must fry them immediately after removing from the freezer.
2. You can also finish cooking the filets by baking them in the oven for 15 minutes at 375℉ after frying them, this will ensure they will be thoroughly cooked, in case your filets are a little bit too thick.

If you enjoyed that recipe here is another version with a florentine sauce.

FISHLESS FILETS

• 200 grams of oyster mushroom (or king oyster, or white shimeji or a combo of them)
• 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour - can be substituted for rice flour
• 1 tablespoon of lemon or lime, squeezed
• 1/3 teaspoon white pepper (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of kelp or nori powder (optional) Vegetable oil for frying All-purpose four or rice flour for coating the fish

FLORENTINE SAUCE

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of very cold or frozen vegan butter cubes (recipe below)
• 1 cup of red bell pepper, chopped or 1 cup of deseeded chopped tomatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons of capers
• 2 cups of fresh baby spinach, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons of vegan cream cheese (recipe below)
• salt and white pepper to taste
• Parsley for garnishing

DIRECTIONS

For the fishless fish filets:

1. For better results, on this step, all the ingredients and the food processor cup and blades should be very cold!
2. Shred the oyster mushrooms with your hands, add them to the food processor and pulse it 4 or 5 times, scrape the cup sides, add the remainder of the ingredients, pulse it 3 or 4 times more.
3. Add the rice flour or all-purpose flour to a plate, make the paddies, very gently, then flour both sides of the filets, place them gently on a plate lined with cling film, cover them with a aluminum foil or cling film, put them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, for better results, 2 hours.

If you would like to freeze your fishes fillets for frying or baking them on a later occasion, you can freeze them for 2 hours, then add them to a ziplock bag with a parchment paper in between them. They freeze well for up to 3 months. For the Florentine sauce

In a skillet, on medium heat, add the olive oil and the vegan butter, when hot, add the red bell pepper or tomatoes, sauce for 2 to 3 minutes, add the garlic, cook for 40 seconds, add the remainder of the ingredients except from the vegan butter, sautéed until the spinach is soft, add the frozen butter cubes, stir it until the vegan butter is melted and emulsified, turn of the heat and reserve. For frying the fishless fish filets

1. Add the vegetable oil to a skillet, when very hot add the fishless filets, then lower the heat to medium and let them fry for 5 minutes each side.
2. Remove the filets from the skillet and place them on a cooling hack, reserve.
3. Plate the filets by adding the sauce to a plate, then place the fishless fish ON TOP of the sauce, AND NEVER the sauce on top of the fish otherwise the fishless filets will lose the crunchiness and the filets will be too soft. 

IMPORTANT

1. The fishless filets can be frozen although they cannot be thawed out, once you plan on frying or baking them you remove them from the freezer and add them immediately to the skillet or in the baking sheet lined with an oven rack.
2. You can also finish cooking them in the oven for 15 minutes ate 375F to ensure the filets are thoroughly cooked, especially if your filets are a bit thicker.