These fries go against the conventional idea of a “fry” in all the best ways.

Mushroom slices coated with panko, cheese and spices and baked until they’re crispy and perfect. Cover anything in panko and I can almost guarantee it will taste good.

These are a nice variation from regular fries for a few reasons. For one thing, they’re healthier; baked, not fried. Second of all, they’re more creative. Serving these up at a barbecue or small get-together would work great. Third, you don’t need much salt. As opposed to regular fries which usually have a high sodium count, these only take a pinch.

I got this recipe from Closet Cooking, and it worked perfectly. Placing the mushrooms on a wire rack instead of just directly on a baking sheet helped so much to prevent the breading becoming soggy (a big pet peeve of mine). Cutting the gills off the mushrooms before baking them probably also helped reduce the liquid withheld in the mushrooms.

Ingredients

• 2 medium Portobello mushrooms, gills removed and sliced 1/4 inch thick (Note: Just to clear up any confusion, “gills” are the part of the mushroom that are very thin and under the widest part of the mushroom, and are ususally darker)
  
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• Pinch of dried thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, beaten

Method

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the panko, Parmesan, thyme, salt and pepper. Dredge each Portobello slice in the flour, then dip them in egg. Roll them in the panko mixture.

Place each slice on a wire rack on a baking sheet. This will allow moisture to drip down without making the fries soggy, or getting your oven dirty. Bake for 8-12 minutes until lightly browned and crispy. Serve immediately with your favourite dip. I used a Honey Tarragon mustard and it was so good!