Break apart large pieces of the mushrooms. If using fresh basil, make sure they're dry since water droplets can cause the oil to splash more when cooking later on.

Add in the corn or potato starch, salt, and chinese five spice in a bowl. Mix together.

Afterwards, place the mushrooms in the large bowl. Toss the mushrooms well to evenly coat in the starch.

Heat a large pan and add in neutral oil, enough to submerge the mushrooms. Place over high heat. Once the oil is VERY hot, place in the coated mushrooms. They will bubble once you add them. Note that it's important your oil is super hot because if added too soon when oil isn’t sizzling hot yet, the mushrooms will absorb all the oil and get soggy. You may need to cook this in batches depending on the size of your pan.

Leave the mushrooms to fry for 4-5 minutes until lightly browned. Move around to ensure that they’re browned throughout. Once they’re lightly brown throughout, remove the mushrooms from the oil, and place on a strainer or a place with some paper towels to drain the excess oil. Repeat this step for the remaining mushrooms.

After cooking the mushrooms, step away a little from the pan since basil tends to splash when added to the oil. Add in the fresh basil leaves, if using. Leave to cook until the basil leaves have turned slightly translucent and crispy. Remove from the oil and place on a strainer or a place with some paper towels to drain the excess oil.

Serve the mushrooms and basil. Sprinkle with some more salt and pepper, if desired. Enjoy while hot!