rants & recipes

Recently, I've rediscovered boiled seitan. Unwittingly, for years, I'd been using vital wheat gluten that's too low in protien to make good boiled seitan (though it seemed to do fine for the "seitan o'greatness" types of recipes, which is what I used it for because boiled seitan was never that great) ... I now realize you need vital wheat gluten that's around 75% protien for the boiled recipes. I'm anxious to try higher protein gluten in some of the recipes I think have been ok with the lower protein stuff, and compare.

There's this whole confusing mess about "gluten flour" versus "vital wheat gluten" ... you can read more about that here. But, basically, it boils down to protein content. I stumbled back into boiled seitan at the tail end of our wheat gluten supply ... when we went to re-order, Bob's Red Mill was the new cheapest brand on Amazon. The next seitan I made, with Bob's Red Mill, was so much better ... after a few questions and reading a bit, I realized the difference was protien content!

I'm now trying a new brand - Honeyville Farms - because it's the only brand I've found online available in bulk. It comes in at about 74% protien (about 3% lower than Bob's Red Mill). It's absolutely terrific! I am seriously thinking of buying the bulk 50 pound bag.

The 3.5 pound canister: The nutritional info on the back:

Here's my basic boiled seitan recipe. This makes enough "meat" for us to have twice during the week (for dinner, plus lunch leftovers each time) with some left over. Supposedely, seitan freezes well. Halve the recipe for a smaller amount. Now that I'm confident I know what makes my seitan turn out well - protien content! - I will be adjusting the flavor ingredients and amounts. (And I'll also be omitting the tapioca - minute tapioca granules are kind of pricey?)

Ingredients:

• 485 grams high-protien vital wheat gluten
• 105 grams tapioca granules
• 30 grams nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• black pepper
• 45 grams marmite
• 80 grams ketchup
• 95 grams tahini
• 75 grams soy sauce
• 2 tsp gravy browner
• 350 grams water
• 2 tbsp original A1 sauce
• 2 tbsp vegan Worcheshire sauce

Instructions:

1. Combine dry ingredients in the bowl of your mixer.
2. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients.
3. Add wet to dry mix, and knead for 10 minutes.
4. Let seitan rest for 10 minutes.
5. Shape seitan into mounds - I make 3 little roast shaped pieces from this amount of seitan.
6. Place in pot, nearly cover with water. Add some soy sauce and ketchup to the broth.
7. Bring to a simmer and simmer 30 minutes.
8. Turn loaves and simmer an additional 30 minutes.

Basic Seitan mix in the mixer ... kinda gross-looking at this stage: Seitan, cooked: Slicing: