I Tried The TikTok Mushroom Drumsticks

[@MerleONeal]

Thanks Bright Cellars for sponsoring this video and for the limited-time offer! Click here brightcellars.com/merleoneal to get $100 off your subscription and a free wine tote. P.S. - for you fellow vegans, you can see your wine matches ahead of time each month to look them up and make sure they're vegan ;)

[@Aria.Inthavong]

This woman loves Bright Cellars!!

[@mikeallen4633]

lol prevy merle is a vibe 🤪

[@justg1226]

Skip the drumsticks and just make nuggets. Sounds easier to me.

[@littlestB]

this.

[@chriscmb]

Or even tender style.

[@misslibz4725]

I thought the same thing much more simple, same taste!

[@meganelizabethwv]

Yes, I agree, merle. Please try this and see what you think.

[@0n3c3nt]

I think sometimes people only do stuff like drumsticks for the virality- lol not sure if that’s a word. But so it goes viral

[@chrissquarefan86]

A simpler version is to boil the mushrooms whole then squeeze out most of the liquid and shred them with a fork. Then you can portion them and toss each portion in a little bit of starch to make them stick together. Finally smoosh each portion in a compact chicken-y shape and proceed with the rest of the recipe.

[@leannakekai162]

Yes! That’s what I was thinking too. It would be so much easier and might have an even nicer texture. 👍

[@FluffyMonsterPony]

You could also use ricepaper to wrap dem up tightly and they should stay together

[@toeknee1505]

That looks tasty! And your idea of tossing the oyster mushrooms into a food processor and mold them into drumsticks is superb!!!!! You are ALWAYS thinking! Thanks for the video!

[@Aria.Inthavong]

Why wasn't I invited to try these delicious looking drumsticks!!

[@MerleONeal]

MAH FOR MEEEE

[@mirandabarnes4135]

Please come on and try every recipe she does! I want a meat eaters opinion on how it tastes and closeness to original!

[@PooPooBanana2]

Time to go vegan Aria!!! It is time.

[@RUNESANEINTHEBRAIN]

SO DOWN for a Merle growing mushrooms video!!!

[@JubeiKibagamiFez]

2:59 That's a nice one. I currently have an overprice, overrated mandolin that has a cheap stainless steel blade that sits horizontally. It is a nightmare to use, but it was expensive cause it's made mostly of stainless steel.

[@DreamingEmoPrincess]

Fried oyster mushrooms are POPULAR in Malaysia! Its not king oyster, but oysterm mushroom are thin and fan up like the fan brush. Just batter them & deep fry. They actually have the meaty texture so you dont have to slice them thin actually

[@MerleONeal]

good to know! i should have just popped it on a stick lmao

[@BeccaAl]

I love this recipe thank you! Our corner shop sells amazing mushroom AND I have those little wooden drumsticks, my stepdad made me for Christmas. You can buy them online but they’re expensive. You need one of those net shields for your frying maybe Merle? x

[@debbie77debbie]

Not the be the “well, actually” guy but I’ve known this mushroom as the trumpet mushroom my whole life. Oyster mushrooms have much thinner stems and flatter, meatier tops. This is for educational purposes lol!! Love your videos

[@TheDanceQueenEileen]

You can also drain off the oil using a cooling rack and that way you can avoid single use paper towel! (They're also crispier that way because they're not sitting on a damp towel)

[@MerleONeal]

Thank you for the hot tip!!!!!

[@nuttygirl83]

This is what I do! Works great.

[@anna-katehowell9852]

It would have been so funny if this was the video sponsored by the adult toys bc that transition would have been WILD

[@MerleONeal]

I THOUGHT OF THAT TOOOOOO it was right there. ASKING for it.. only one week late

[@95_Nepentheses]

Growing mushrooms is a lot of steps, but it's really not that hard! I started a few months ago and am finding it super rewarding!

[@MerleONeal]

i realllyy wanna try

[@95_Nepentheses]

​@@MerleONeal go for it! You can dip your toe in with a pre-made kit, and then go on to start from scratch if it appeals to you. North Spore is one of my favorites to get supplies and cultures from. They've got a subscription plan too that seems really cool. Now that I think of it, with your content being what it is, wonder if they'd be into making some kind of arrangement with you

[@tienthuy7376]

i feel like just keep the mushroom whole, pierce tiny holes on it with a fork and boil them in the flavoured liquid for longer would be a nice solution. plus you might get the teary texture of the mushroom when you bite into it!

[@MerleONeal]

OHHHHHH this is brilliant

[@sarastevens2973]

I'm so happy you're doing your own thing (sorry if not by choice) love the vibe and even if I'm not fully into the recipe you just make things fun and you've become a part of my routine ❤️ I personally think you shine way more on your own than on buzzfeed... Not belittling that but you can tell they dulled your shine to their standards

[@MerleONeal]

Thanks so much for the support and the love

[@alexanderdemcenko4914]

Props to Merle looking absolutely gorgeous all natural!!!!!

[@KrispyPlatypus]

It’d be cool to see you try chicken of the forest mushroom. I’ve yet to try but they say it does taste like it

[@vegancharlieleeblue]

Excellent recipe! Doing it this weekend. Btw, I feel called out for laughing at the double meanings😂

[@jessicagates7652]

A local wing place near me has vegan wings (they’re soy) wrapped around sugar cane. It works pretty good, no flavor comes through from the “sugar cane bone”

[@madamballiyilemanorogi1395]

Sugar cane is sweet no?

[@jasmingovers4403]

It does look yummy and the crunch ❤

[@neonmoon8356]

Always on the lookout for new mushroom recipes, so thanks! Now to figure out what to substitute for the 'skin.' I've tried rice paper and it turned out so bad.

[@PeiPeisMom]

I may try this without the "bones" and just stack and roll the mushroom slices in the tofu skin before freezing to mimic boneless fried thighs. This looks so good, thanks for the idea!

[@CorineT]

As someone who also fears hot oil I have to say - seeing you in a tank top near the stove gave me a jump! 😂 I’m also so darn impressed with how much they resemble KFC.

[@strawberrysoymilkshake]

I appreciate it when you freestyle the recipes especially to problem solve them because isn't that what we would all be doing at home?

[@naomifrancois5630]

Hear me out. Poke holes in the whole mushrooms, marinate for a longer bit of time. toss in flour mixture, fry. BOOM mushroom tenders. Regardless, that looks delicious. Thanks for sharing.

[@lisasim]

There's a glove for the mandoline... Makes using it, less stressful 😅

[@nicktheavatar_]

Great video again Merle! Vegan chicken wings made in only 24 hours 😂

[@beatriznery2805]

I would love to see a video of your idea of using a food processor. Also these would be cool as nuggets. Oyster mushroom nuggets?

[@jessicat2866]

You should use a Japanese frying pot! It’s a game changer because there’s no splashing.

[@ikolivelongafter]

Merle is a queen

[@Livv_it_is]

1 min in and you already crack me up. hahahah

[@Fabdanc]

Wait... Have I just now noticed that Merle seals herself in that kitchen when she films? Dedication, truly.

[@MerleONeal]

🥲

[@strawberrysoymilkshake]

Dedication and small apartment life :')

[@jo.85]

I took off the tip of my finger with a mandolin so whenever i see anybody using one without a guard it fills me with so much anxiety 😰

[@MerleONeal]

OH YIKES

[@SuperLoopholes]

I'd like to see you do a video on seitan.

[@VerhoevenSimon]

I wonder if wrapping them in rice paper and then breading them would help keep them together.

[@MerleONeal]

probably about as well as tofu skin!

[@vermin913]

3:09 thanks, Im going to have Phantom stuck in my head for the rest of the day

[@MerleONeal]

mUAHAHA

[@katymcwhirter]

I feel like you could just poke the whole oyster mushroom on a stick, bread it, and make it a lot easier?

[@dominika85]

You can also just simply fry the oyster mushrooms, without all this craziness. I'm not vegan, but I do that all the time. Looove oyster mushrooms!

[@sharkylover1443]

Merle, you could do the food processor chunks you talked about in the video but instead wrap them in Yuba like a little dumpling. I feel like the tediousness of wrapping it around smth to achieve a drumstick like appearance is just too much!

[@MerleONeal]

YUMMMM that's such a good idea

[@justin_g_smith]

Not the oil getting the last laugh at the end lol

[@MerleONeal]

IT ALWAYS DOES

[@LindsayOLeary]

I have never seen someone get so much joy out of inspecting mushrooms -- livin' life to the fullest! 🍆🍓🥛🎎💥💖

[@MerleONeal]

ahh yes the beauty of never growing up

[@4themotherload]

I am thinking "chicken fingers or nuggets" I got a kid who would love this. Love inspiration 🥂

[@millawitt1882]

Love, love sweet kinky Merle at the beginning❤️( and you are just saying out loud what we all are thinking😉)

[@Edge2177]

I wonder if you salt the shrooms in the beginning (make them give off water) would increase their absorption of flavor.

[@dandyissues9046]

Someone please give Merle some PPE so she can deep-fry things without being anxious about it... I feel that fear tho so no shame.

[@Schokoladenmotorboot]

Love your Videos Merle! What is the texture like? Is it squishy? Because I hate it when mushrooms are like rubbery and squishy 😅

[@MerleONeal]

thank u! it was chewy and tender!! not squishy!

[@barbaracarbone4658]

Mmmm . These look so freak in' good!🎉

[@littlestB]

instead of blending them and putting them around a "bone", what if you just kinda formed the slices into a ball and froze them? and repeated the same process? they'd be like boneless "wings".

[@sunny5ma]

Omz lmao the sass and the puns!! I love our reigning vegan queen so much 🤣🤣🤣❤️🥰😊💖🤩

[@rohithchandra8817]

Merle is the G.O.A.T ❤🔥

[@BloosSelfReliance]

This looks so yum!!!!

[@MerleONeal]

It was SOO tasty

[@Bossman-mu6qe]

Probably cornstarch would help as a binder when used with the fresh out of warm seasoned broth.

[@vistalicahalim5468]

ive never tried it with mushroom before, i've eaten the one with only tofu skin

[@ernturnstheburn]

give it a whirl w merle

[@DK-qj7cr]

I got anxiety watching you with the mandolin…I cut off the tip of my thumb not using the guard 😑😒😶now I always use the guard 😖🥴

[@MerleONeal]

😭 the guard wasn't working with them!

[@jasmineelyse]

you should do a ranking of vegan deli meats next! maybe trying to make the best vegan sandwich.

[@MerleONeal]

loove this idea

[@flora5090]

These are very different from oyster mushrooms in shape, but I suppose the texture is gonna be pretty much the same. Btw the innuendos at the beginning had me in stitches 😂

[@MerleONeal]

teehehehe

[@way9883]

it's because this one's king oyster mushrooms! the usual ones that has flat body is oyster mushrooms

[@pineconey]

Merle, how do those compare to button and portabello? I had them once, the king trumpets, but I found them bland and am wondering if it was just that batch or if that's how they are.

[@MerleONeal]

they are veryyyyy DENSE they have way more chew and bite to them! they're not flavor intensive thoough. I think their shining quality is the texture

[@DizzyBuns9]

Thank god. I have finally found another person on this Earth that perpetually quotes the “Berries & Cream” starburst commercial song. I now feel seen and can die happily 😌😌

[@MerleONeal]

it's been living rent-free in my brain for like 15 years now

[@beniwestside]

“Firm” might have worked

[@strawberrysoymilkshake]

Can u pls collab with Julien Solomita? He loves hot oil so he can fry anything for you

[@Nl9ETEEN]

Well, this video didn't go how i thought it would.

[@hettiebrigham8413]

They look so yummy 😋

[@EchaKiut]

This look ao good

[@zepzour7391]

honestly after working at a restaurant for the past 3 months, i kind of don't give af about using plastic wrap / paper towels anymore. the amount that restaurants use is INSANE. Every single item of food gets wrapped in between each service (3x a day for where I work). also none of them recycle even if they say they do (from what ive been told at least, also our "recycling bin" goes straight to the trash). This restaurant isn't even like a shitty place, it's a 90% vegan, fully vegetarian kitchen making mostly high quality whole-food meals for a "wellness retreat resort". Its also a non for profit (but like only for the rich people that can afford the retreats??) and everything is like organic and non-gmo which I personally dont care about lol, im just here cause its the only mostly vegan restaurant in town. idk, not sure its worth the stress for the everyday individual to try and avoid plastic wrap if you need it on occassion, I've wrapped thousands of bowls of food for a total of 2 hours time for like no reason, could just as easily used lids but whatever, so I wouldn't sweat it too much lol

[@LocalHeroCarlos]

Merle ur the vegan queen of KZbin!!!! IMO 🥳🥳🥳🥳

[@MerleONeal]

Aw thank you

[@Fighterswriters]

Not me giggling like a teen girl every time you say something about the mushroom and it just sounds- well- you know how🤣

[@MerleONeal]

👀

[@Fighterswriters]

@@MerleONeal i see you

[@w2og3m]

Trátalas con salsa de ciruela Chinese style 🎉❤

[@one-seventeen.rev310]

My lazy self would just make popcorn chicken

[@madamballiyilemanorogi1395]

I love how varied her sponsors are 😅. There is wine. There is also self pleasure toys 😜

[@MerleONeal]

I like to showcase the things that make my world go round 💃🏻

[@LocalGothdadd]

still thinking back to when you said you ate a whole bucket of KFC by yourself on a roadtrip. The evolution! Lol

[@MerleONeal]

LOL

[@TheSaneHatter]

Fried mushrooms are not all that novel: there's a neighborhood burger bar up the street that's offered them for ages!

[@-anotherbrokenegg]

Cool. She never claimed to be the first. Grab a ticket and take the L.

[@KrisRN23935]

You should really be sponsored by North Spore. The sell really easy mushroom logs to grow fancier mushrooms like King Oyster. Plus they could use the good press... After The Last Of Us scared people with Mushroom Zombies😂.

[@philwhitern]

Merle you're running your own vegan channel. Can I buy you a 50 buck deep fryer to assuage your oil fears?

[@sanjana8955]

wrap it with a rice paper sheet so that they don't fall apart hehe

[@dcrvln264]

The start of this video tho lmao

[@MerleONeal]

Feral

[@InsomniacReader]

I made scallops with my king trumpet mushrooms and my non vegan dad wanted more.

[@MerleONeal]

omg they're sOOO goood

[@ellia.vagabond]

Wouldn't putting the mushrooms thru the food processor ruin that stringy texture that is reminiscent of chicken that king oyster mushrooms do?

[@parismoon2130]

Oooooh I wonder what they would be like if you were to double fry??

[@ylio_66t]

I feel like if blended into small chunks the texture would be closer to chicken nuggets than whole pieces of meat

[@MerleONeal]

might be awesome tbh

[@-anotherbrokenegg]

Merle, my lovely vegan queen! Could you ever do a full week of gluten free, health conscious vegans on a tight budget? That's my ultimate request as a relatively new, exhausted, mother. 💚

[@taaibahali3641]

you need to do a week of eating video!!!

[@kimmurray9346]

I can’t with the reference in the beginning! Stay greasy ❤

[@julianc.mcclain]

I love the meat rose

[@wcallisa22]

Hold up Merle and Aria (what's his name still together) yes ah fass but we need to know

[@nahuel]

After this video I don't know if I'm hungry or aroused...

[@MerleONeal]

👀

[@lovexanisa]

me: they have girth, you: they’re pretty hard. TRULY NO WAY TO SRSLY TALK ABOUT THE MUSHROOMS😅😂

[@MerleONeal]

😭

[@kiyastokem9571]

Pajama day

[@MerleONeal]

every day in a perfect world

[@beddytear6112]

You look really good worhout makeup

[@MerleONeal]

that's very sweet of you

[@BreweryCalling]

Make sure your wine is vegan homie!

[@NancyCronk]

Why not just cut the mushrooms into nuggets, saute over night and carry on from there? No need to slice and form into globs.

[@spike31642]

Would you say the mushrooms are turgid? 😂

[@julianc.mcclain]

From tasty to… I am wrong?

[@jessicastevens5782]

can you request vegan wines from Bright Cellars? I haven't used them in years, so maybe they've updated

[@jessicastevens5782]

nevermind - found it in the FAQs (just not under heading I was expecting) "At this time, we do not carry no-sulfites-added wines*, nor can we guarantee the wines in our inventory are vegan**. As we grow we hope to offer vegan, kosher, organic, etc. wines in the future!" I get - it is tough to find good vegan wines

[@mellowourld7608]

Good excuce to learn to carve wood.

[@xxmaharetxx1]

❤

[@joaopaulosalvador]

But are the wines vegan?

[@chakimn222]

❤️❤️❤️❤️💕

[@obviouslybekah]

I want to like mushrooms so badly but I can’t get past the texture. It looks so good🫢

[@oAgL214]

We have the same thoughts 😏🤭

[@MerleONeal]

🔮