Didn't think you'd ever have fried chicken after becoming vegan? Think again. Chef Roberto Martin has a recipe that will blow your mind with its crispy goodness, complete with a Southern kick.
The genius of this recipe is in the "chicken skin" Martin creates from rice paper spring roll wrappers. The wrappers seal in the moisture of the "chicken" and fry up beautifully. Watch the video below to see how easy it really is!
Vegan fried chickenPreparation Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 8 patties
Ingredients1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, organic and unbleached
1 tablespoon blackening spice
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 cups cashew cream
3 tablespoons Tabasco sauce, or to taste
2 packages Gardein Chick'n Scallopini, defrosted (each package is 10 ounces or 283.5 grams)
1 package rice paper spring roll wrappers
Safflower, canola or grapeseed oil as needed
Cashew Cream2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
2-1/2 cups water
DirectionsCashew Cream1. Blend soaked cashews and water until smooth, scraping sides of blender as needed. Strain any remaining bits and refrigerate.
Vegan Fried Chicken1. Mix dry ingredients (flour, blackening spice, garlic powder, Old Bay seasoning, onion powder, salt) in mixing bowl.
2. In separate bowl, mix cashew cream and Tabasco sauce; set aside.
3. Create patties from Gardein fillets by rolling each into a ball then flattening into an oval about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) thick, then put on a large plate. Set aside.
4. Open rice paper and discard sheets that have holes or cutoff sides. Put 1 cup of very warm water in pan large enough to hold a sheet of rice paper; add 1 sheet and let it soak for about 20 seconds. Rice paper should be softened but not mushy. Transfer paper to flat surface. With wet hands, wrap a patty in the rice paper burrito style, taking care to seal the wrapper with water. Return patty to plate, and repeat for remaining patties.
5. Lightly dust a baking sheet with the seasoned flour.
6. Roll wrapped patty in bowl of seasoned flour, dip it into the cashew cream mixture, then dredge again in the seasoned flour. Place it onto the floured baking sheet and repeat for remaining patties.
7. Fill a large frying pan (sides at least 3 inches or 7.6 centimeters high) with at least 1/2 an inch (1.25 centimeters) of oil -- enough to fry one-half of a patty at a time. Set to medium heat, about 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 177 degrees Celsius.
8. When oil is shimmery and the consistency of water, use tongs to add patties. Fry patties 2-1/2 to 3 minutes each side. Do not turn more than once; patties are done when the rice paper is a crispy golden brown.
9. Transfer patties from frying pan to wire rack or baking sheet lined with paper towels. Serve hot.
Pro tip: optional tip taken from the video, or from your own knowledge. Tips can be serving suggestion, tip on technique, or tip on alternatives to ingredients found in the original video.
Planning a party? Steps 1-4 can be done up to a day in advance, so wrap up a ton of patties ahead of time and prepare to get frying on the big day!
