Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Day 42 - Simple Seitan

Simple Seitan



This is one of the recipes that inspired me to take on the project of cooking my way through this book. Making one’s own seitan is one of those vegan-empowerment things. And it’s the one protein, unlike tofu or tempeh, that you can make on your own without too much fuss. I remember when I was a vegan back in 1988 when it was tough to find already-prepared seitan, and I made my own by washing regular flour until all that was left was the gluten. Now they sell this handy dandy vital wheat gluten. Hallelujah! That washing thing was a bust!



This recipe comes together in a snap. My only question is: How elastic exactly is the elastic dough that I’m aiming for? I wonder if I’m over- or under-kneading my gluten. My dough is a little porous, and I think it might be contributing to a somewhat spongy final product. This time, when I made it, I was very vigilant about catching it right at the boiling point, and I still ended up with some sponginess. Not as bad as the first time, but I wonder if I made this dough in the electric mixer with the dough attachment, might I end up with a better result?



Even slightly spongy, I love the way this tastes, and I love that I can make it myself. Thanks I&T!



SFO: 8


(I think anyone would be happy to eat it, but I fear that some meat eaters might feel a little shortchanged when they discover that this is the main course protein.)

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