Jump to content

Seitan


Tigress
 Share

Recommended Posts

The ones I read used some ingredient I had never heard of and then a huge discussion was based around boiling or roasting.

 

I am going to give it a try though if I can get the ingredients. Please post any recipes you have though, that would be great

 

I'll try do a photo shoot of me making a mess of seitan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've made it, using a recipe from "The Farm Vegetarian Cookbook." It's not hard at all, just takes some time. I just used whole wheat flour, then cooked it (do NOT boil, as it puffs up...simmer only to keep it dense) in a broth of soy sauce, ginger, onion and garlic. It was delish!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, here is my first attempt at homemade seitan. It was surprisingly easy too, the hardest part was the simmering for an hour and the cooling. I was just in a hurry to try it. This is not my recipe, it comes from Isa at the PostPunkKitchen. I just wanted to add some pictures along with the recipe. I made a General Tso's Seitan tonight that was out of this world! I will post that recipe tomorrow night. In the meantime, I give you seitan...

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten flour

1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1 cup very cold water or vegetable broth

1/2 cup soy sauce (I used Braggs)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated on a microplane grater

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

 

 

Simmering Broth

10 cups cold water or cold veggie broth

1/2 cup soy sauce

NOTE* I found that this broth made the seitan just too salty if you plan on marinating the seitan for another recipe later on. If you do plan on marinating for another recipe, use plain water and soy sauce, ditch the broth.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c110/StvNicksFan/1.jpg

 

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together Vital Wheat Gluten Flour and nutritional yeast flakes. In a seperate bowl, mix together reamining ingredients: water or veg broth, soy sauce. tomato paste, garlic, lemon zest.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c110/StvNicksFan/2.jpg

 

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine with a firm spatula, knead dough for about 3 minutes until a spongy, elastic dough is formed. I kneaded mine in the mixer, worked great. Let the dough rest for a couple of minutes and prepare your simmering broth, but don't start boiling it.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c110/StvNicksFan/3.jpg

 

Now roll your dough into a log shape about 8 inches long and cut into 3 equal sized pieces. I just grabbed the ball of dough and tore pieces off, it gave the seitan a nice bite size shape, similar to mock meat I guess. The dough should not be sticky, it should fall right off of your fingers, but it should also not fall apart, it should hold shape. If it does not, adjust flour/water. Place the pieces in the broth. It is important that the water/broth be very cold when you add the dough, it helps with the texture and ensures that it doesn't fall apart. Partially cover the pot (leave a little space for steam to escape) and bring to a boil.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c110/StvNicksFan/4.jpg

 

When the water has come to a boil set the heat to low and gently simmer for an hour, turning the pieces every now and again.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c110/StvNicksFan/5.jpg

 

Now you've got gluten. Let it cool in the simmering broth for at least a half an hour. It is best if it cools completely. While it's cooling, you may feel the texture is soft like raw dough. DON'T worry like I did, as it cools it firms up into a nice texture. You must cool it for it to firm up though!

 

What you do next depends on the recipe you are using. If it calls for gluten use it as is. If you want to store some of it for later use put it in a sealable container covered in the simmering broth.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c110/StvNicksFan/6.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very impressive. The one I saw was a baked seitan and I am going to try that ..

 

It seems very fiddly though

 

Well be sure to share with us. I also have a recipe for a grilled seitan, skip the boiling and just grill, doesn't sound good to me. I guess maybe just nothing can come close to the original recipes, but I don't have two-three days to make a batch of seitan!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really want some but Jamie is trying to get gluten out of her diet to see how she feels and I don't want to force her to watch me eat seitan...anyway I really really want some now

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I Used This Recipe!

 

Combine nutritional yeast and vital wheat gluten in a bowl.

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c240/veganmadre/seitan1.jpg

 

Mix liquids in a separate bowl.

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c240/veganmadre/seitan2.jpg

 

Add liquids to the vital wheat gluten/nutritional yeast mixture and stir with a firm spatula. Why a firm spatula? I don't know but I do as Isa says. She is my leader!

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c240/veganmadre/seitan3.jpg

 

Knead dough for 3 - 5 minutes until spongy and elastic. Let sit and begin preparing broth.

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c240/veganmadre/seitan4.jpg

 

Roll dough into a long loaf - approximately 8 inches long.

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c240/veganmadre/seitan5.jpg

 

Cut loaf into 3 equal pieces and place the dough into cool simmering broth. Isa's seitan is super salty. I cut down the sodium significantly and it was still a little too much. I'd half the soy sauce in the broth and use half broth/half water next time.

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c240/veganmadre/seitan6.jpg

 

Cover but VENT simmering broth with cooking for an hour - turning gently occassionally. Let seitan cool in the broth for 30 minutes after simmering is complete!

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c240/veganmadre/seitan7.jpg

 

Remove cooled seitan.

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c240/veganmadre/seitan9.jpg

 

You now have gluten. Since this is a seitan recipe, do as follows - cut the gluten into desired size chunks. I did a few strips for the fajitas but cut the rest into smallish square chunks.

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c240/veganmadre/seitan11.jpg

 

Lightly brush a cast iron griddle/skillet (or other, though Isa recommends cast iron) with oil and fry the seitan for about 20 minutes turning regularly.

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c240/veganmadre/seitan12.jpg

 

Wahlah. All praise seitan.

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c240/veganmadre/seitan13.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sometimes I use the technique from Millenium that forms the seitan in logs and wraps it in cheese cloth before simmering. This keeps it dense and allows you to make very pretty medallions. I've made seitan piccata and other dishes that call for sauteing and then saucing with this form/shape of seitan. Very elegant if you have company.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You don't have to add all those ingredients to wheat flour to make seitan. A very basic recipe is just wheat flour, simmered (never boiled, as it changes the texture to to 'puffy') in a broth.

 

For basic gluten (as per "The Farm Vegetarian Cookbook"):

Mix together 8 cups flour (1/2 unbleached with and 1/2 gluten flour--some recipes use all gluten flour because it's faster, but the end result isn't as good IMO) and 2-3 cups water to form a stiff dough. Knead 10-15 minutes until you have a smooth dough ball. (It should spring back when poked).

 

Put this in a large bowl, cover with water, and let sit for an hour.

Then, knead this under water, kneading out the starch and holding the gluten together. It may not hold together well at this stage, but keep on going and don't get discouraged. Change water when it gets milky. As you rinse out the starch (the 'milkiness' in the water), the mass will hold together better and better.

 

Let it rest, then repeat the kneading, letting it rest, changing water several times.

 

When the water stays almost clear, you'll have about 4 cups of gluten. It should be quite stretchy: there's a photo in the Farm Veg. cookbook of someone holding up one end of a piece of ready-to-cook gluten, and it's hanging like a big rubber band.

 

Simmer this in a broth of water or vegetable stock, soy sauce, onion, a bit of oil, about 1 hour. Again: simmer, do not boil. Keeping the temp low keeps the seitan dense and 'meaty.'

 

It's a bit time intensive, because you have to be around for the various kneedings, but makes a much better texture seitan than just mixing up gluten flour. The secret is in the kneading and rinsing.

 

I used this recipe to make seitan for a chili recipe to serve at a party, and one woman refused to believe it wasn't meat. She INSISTED that I MUST have used meat in the chili.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You don't have to add all those ingredients to wheat flour to make seitan.

 

It helps though, if you want to have something that tates like more than boiled flour.

 

Simmer this in a broth of water or vegetable stock, soy sauce, onion, a bit of oil'

 

Sounds like just as many ingredients anyway?

 

Regardless, the Farm cookbook is in fact the best cookbook. There really is no need for any other.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It helps though, if you want to have something that tates like more than boiled flour.

 

It didn't taste like 'boiled flour' at all. I suppose if you just cooked it in water it would, but it absorbs the flavor from the broth and whatever else you put it in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like just as many ingredients anyway?

Not really, since you have to make a broth to simmer the other recipe in anyway. And the broth ingredients don't need any measuring: pretty much just toss them in--though the onion should be chopped. No 'recipe' really needed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...
OK, here is my first attempt at homemade seitan. It was surprisingly easy too, the hardest part was the simmering for an hour and the cooling. I was just in a hurry to try it. This is not my recipe, it comes from Isa at the PostPunkKitchen. I just wanted to add some pictures along with the recipe. I made a General Tso's Seitan tonight that was out of this world! I will post that recipe tomorrow night. In the meantime, I give you seitan...

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten flour

1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1 cup very cold water or vegetable broth

1/2 cup soy sauce (I used Braggs)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated on a microplane grater

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

 

 

Simmering Broth

10 cups cold water or cold veggie broth

1/2 cup soy sauce

NOTE* I found that this broth made the seitan just too salty if you plan on marinating the seitan for another recipe later on. If you do plan on marinating for another recipe, use plain water and soy sauce, ditch the broth.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c110/StvNicksFan/1.jpg

 

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together Vital Wheat Gluten Flour and nutritional yeast flakes. In a seperate bowl, mix together reamining ingredients: water or veg broth, soy sauce. tomato paste, garlic, lemon zest.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c110/StvNicksFan/2.jpg

 

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine with a firm spatula, knead dough for about 3 minutes until a spongy, elastic dough is formed. I kneaded mine in the mixer, worked great. Let the dough rest for a couple of minutes and prepare your simmering broth, but don't start boiling it.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c110/StvNicksFan/3.jpg

 

Now roll your dough into a log shape about 8 inches long and cut into 3 equal sized pieces. I just grabbed the ball of dough and tore pieces off, it gave the seitan a nice bite size shape, similar to mock meat I guess. The dough should not be sticky, it should fall right off of your fingers, but it should also not fall apart, it should hold shape. If it does not, adjust flour/water. Place the pieces in the broth. It is important that the water/broth be very cold when you add the dough, it helps with the texture and ensures that it doesn't fall apart. Partially cover the pot (leave a little space for steam to escape) and bring to a boil.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c110/StvNicksFan/4.jpg

 

When the water has come to a boil set the heat to low and gently simmer for an hour, turning the pieces every now and again.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c110/StvNicksFan/5.jpg

 

Now you've got gluten. Let it cool in the simmering broth for at least a half an hour. It is best if it cools completely. While it's cooling, you may feel the texture is soft like raw dough. DON'T worry like I did, as it cools it firms up into a nice texture. You must cool it for it to firm up though!

 

What you do next depends on the recipe you are using. If it calls for gluten use it as is. If you want to store some of it for later use put it in a sealable container covered in the simmering broth.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c110/StvNicksFan/6.jpg

 

 

Hello,

 

I will have liked to make this receipt, but here in France in the place of the "cups", we have grams. Who could say to me ? Thank you.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...