Using your fingers, pull apart the batch of vegan chicken into strips, wings, or tenders and place them in a bowl. If using oyster mushrooms instead, pull them into wing-sized pieces or leave in chunky clusters. Set aside for breading.

In one medium bowl, combine the chickpea flour, plant milk, cider or white vinegar, and hot sauce. Whisk well to create a smooth batter—this is your 'egg' mixture. In a separate bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, fine sea salt, Old Bay seasoning, and ground black pepper to create the spiced flour coating.

Assign one hand for wet ingredients and one for dry. Dip each piece of vegan chicken (from Step 1) into the spiced flour mixture, tossing to coat. Then dip it into the 'egg' batter, ensuring it's thoroughly coated. Finally, return the vegan chicken to the spiced flour mixture for a second coating, making sure every piece is well covered. This double coating ensures a super crispy result! I find it helpful to keep one hand dry and one hand wet for less mess.

Heat vegetable or sunflower oil in a medium, high-sided frying pan or a deep fat fryer to 170 °C (340 °F). Working in batches, carefully add the coated vegan chicken (from Step 3) to the hot oil. Fry each piece for 2-4 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Use a spider or slotted spoon to remove the pieces, draining them on kitchen towels to remove excess oil. Repeat with all remaining pieces. For extra crispiness, I like to let the fried pieces rest for a minute or two before serving.

Serve the vegan fried chicken while it's hot and crispy. Enjoy as is, or with your favorite dipping sauce or sides!