First, the back story (or scroll to recipe just below)…
I am not a huge proponent of vegan meat substitutes. But I do crave them on occasion or need them to make a recipe seem complete, e.g. a pot pie. And I am completely addicted to Whole Foods Buffalo Soy Bites, so I decided to make my own, though not from soy, as theirs are a bit toothsome. Making them with my seitan creates a much more tender product. But the flavor of my basic seitan–which is anything but basic–has been dramatically enhanced by studying their ingredient list. The two key ingredients gleaned from their label: Liquid Smoke and Molasses.
My tips and tricks for lip-smacking seitan:
Tip 1: SEASON. Seitan only tastes as good as it has been seasoned, both the dough AND the stock. Most of it is dramatically underseasoned to me. It should be absolutely lip-smacking on its own and not dependent on a sauce or coating. Do not be fooled into thinking you can merely season the stock, which allegedly permeates the dough as it simmers. It does. But not enough.
Tip 2: INGREDIENTS. My recipe calls for a fair number of ingredients in both the dough and stock–virtually the same ingredients, save the celery, onion, and optional bay leaf in the stock–which may be a deterrent to some. However, when something is as blank of a slate as vital wheat gluten–the main ingredient–it needs some serious, careful, and judicious balancing of flavors. But, yes, if you are in a hurry, you may use a generic poultry seasoning in place of all of the dry spices. It won’t be as scrumptious, but it will be good.
Tip 3: TASTE. Granted, seitan, even seasoned, is quite a bizarre texture before it is simmered. But tasting it, as with anything you prepare, is completely necessary. So, pinch off a teeny-tiny bit of the dough, rest it on your tongue, make an assessment, discard it rather than swallow it, and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
Tip 4: DON’T OVER-KNEAD. Never knead the dough more than 3 minutes. Recipes tend to recommend longer, but that yields an unpleasantly tough product. Gluten develops as it is kneaded which is why wheat flour-based recipes for baked goods caution against “overbeating” the batter or dough lest you end up with something too tough to enjoy.
Blooming Best (Vegan) Seitan
Yield: 1 pint walnut-sized pieces
Note: if pressed for time, you may substitute 2 tablespoons + 1 1/4 teaspoons poultry seasoning for the all of the dried spices.
Blooming Best (Vegan) Seitan Stock
3 cup water
1/4 large onion, separated into rings
3 stalks celery, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
Optional: 1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon all purpose seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon dried, powdered rosemary
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 large vegetable bouillon cube (for making 2 cups broth)
1/2 teaspoon molasses (or slightly more)
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Blooming Best (Vegan) Seitan Dough (recipe follows)
In a 2-quart saucepan, combine all ingredients, bring to a gentle boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Tear off slightly smaller than unshelled walnut pieces of dough and drop into simmering stock, using entire recipe. Cover with a lid slightly ajar and simmer very gently for 45 minutes; stir occasionally (if you think of it). Don’t worry about over-crowding. It will puff up as it cooks, but it won’t stick to neighboring pieces.
Blooming Best (Vegan) Seitan Dough
1 3/4 cups vital wheat gluten
1 tablespoon all purpose seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon dried, powdered rosemary
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 large vegetable bouillon cube (for making 2 cups broth)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to 0taste
1 3/4 cups warm water
1/2 teaspoon molasses (or slightly more)
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
Stock (recipe follows)
In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients with a fork–it helps to mix water, molasses, and liquid smoke together first–and knead for just 3 minutes directly in the bowl.
