Mushroom Katsu

1. PARCOOK. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil with a heavy pinch of salt. Then prepare a medium bowl with ice water and set aside. Once the water is boiling, add the king trumpet mushrooms, and boil until glossy, about 10 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and shock in ice water to stop cooking.
2. DRY. Once the mushrooms are completely cool, remove from ice water and pat dry with a paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible.
3. SLICE. Place the par-cooked mushrooms on a cutting board, and slice the cap to the stem. Slice the mushroom in a spiral motion like how you peel a potato to unravel it into a ¼” thick cutlet. Gently score both sides of the cutlet. Repeat with each King Trumpet mushroom.
4. MARINATE. In a shallow dish, combine soy sauce and white pepper. Place each scored mushroom cutlet into the soy mixture. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes. 
5. BATTER. In a separate medium bowl, beat egg white and water together. Sift flour into the liquid, and mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix. 
6. FRY. Fill a large skillet or wok with at least 1-½ inches of vegetable or canola oil and set over medium heat. Once the oil is 350F degrees, dip a mushroom cutlet in the prepared batter and gently place it into the hot oil (be careful to not cook too many at once as it will drop the oil temperature too much). 
7. FLIP. Fry both sides until golden brown, flipping halfway, about 8-10 minutes total. Remove and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels or a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining mushroom cutlets.

Gochujang Sauce

1.  In a medium bowl, mix gochujang paste, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and maple syrup until all together. Set aside. 
2. Using a brush, coat both sides of the mushroom katsu with the prepared gochujang sauce.

To Finish

1. Top with toasted sesame seeds and slice into strips.
2. Serve over rice with shredded cabbage.
3. Garnish with sliced scallions. Enjoy while warm!