Kitchen Wisdom: Do-It-Yourself Seitan
by Sarah Kramer
Quiet everyone!
My name is Mrs. Kramer and I will be your teacher for today.
Today’s topic is Seitan… but before I start talking about The Wheat Meat I wanted to give you my Number One tip in the kitchen. Do you have your pens out? Are you ready to write this down? This will be on the test.
My Number One tip for working in the kitchen is to buy yourself a stand-alone oven thermometer. Everyone’s oven comes equipped with an internal thermometer, but they are rarely correct. My oven is off by about 25 degrees! That is a big difference when you are baking or roasting or doing anything that requires precision timing and oven temperature.
If you only learn one thing from me in this lesson it should be to get a stand-alone oven thermometer. They are available at any kitchen or hardware store and usually cost between $7-$20 but they are worth their weight in gold. Run out and get one and then e-mail me and let me know how thankful you are because your oven temperature was way off and you had no idea. You’ll be shocked at how off your oven is… seriously.
Now. On to today’s lesson.
Seitan. What is Seitan? Does anyone know?
Seitan (pronounced SAY-tan) or “wheat meat” is a protein rich food made from wheat gluten. All that mock-meat you eat in restaurants or purchase from your supermarkets is usually made in part from wheat gluten.
Like all flours, wheat gluten has virtually no flavour… so this means your Seitan will soak up the flavours of whatever it is cooked with.
You can run out to your local supermarket and purchase pre-made Seitan or pre-flavored cutlets… but why do that when it is so easy and cheap to make yourself! You can make Seitan from scratch using regular flour and water (recipe on page 284 of La Dolce Vegan) but for today’s lesson and in the interest of time we will be using Instant Vital Wheat Gluten.
Gluten has many names. Instant gluten. Wheat Gluten. Vital Gluten. Vital Instant Wheat Gluten. It’s all the same. Just get some and let’s get cooking.
BASIC INSTANT GLUTEN
- 1/2 cup instant vital wheat gluten flour
- 1/2 cup water
In a medium bowl, stir together the wheat gluten and water until it becomes elastic. Knead for 5 minutes and set aside. Choose a mock meat flavouring (recipes for flavourings on page 284-5of La Dolce Vegan) to use with your prepared dough.
Makes 2 large or 4 small servings.
FAUX CHICKEN FLAVOURING
- Basic Instant Gluten (see recipe above)
Broth:
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp tamari
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp celery seed
In a large saucepan, bring all of the broth ingredients to a boil. Slice Basic Instant Gluten into steaks, chunks or strips and drop carefully into broth. Reduce heat and cover with lid. Let simmer for 50-60 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until broth has reduced completely.
Use “chicken” immediately in your dish of choice or store in the refrigerator (for up to 6 days) or the freezer (for up to 6 months). For a chewier texture, once you’ve boiled the “chicken”, bake it at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) in a lightly oiled baking dish for 30 minutes.
Makes 2 large or 4 small servings.
JAY-LO’S FRIED “CHICKEN”
When you prepare your “chicken”, shape and cut them so they resemble a nice breast. Tee hee. I said breast. This is my good friend Jason’s fried chicken recipe that he makes for BBQ’s at his house. It’s delish and quite a dish… just like Jay.
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup “milk” (soy, oat, rice etc)
- Faux Chicken (see recipe above)
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
In a shallow dish, stir together the flour, paprika, salt and pepper. Set aside. In a small bowl, pour “milk” and set aside. Dip “chicken” into flour, then dip in “milk” and then into flour again. In a large frying pan on medium-high heat, fry “chicken” in oil until well browned on both sides.
Makes 2 large or 4 small servings.
See how easy that was??
Tonight’s homework: Make some Fried “Chicken,” then stop by the corner store and get a internal oven thermometer and a copy of La Dolce Vegan.
CLASS DISMISSED!
