Seitan - General Guidance
Well friends, I girded my loins and tried making my own seitan yesterday. I had trawled the Net for info and some of it was contradictory, others were confusing, but I did find out how to make it with gluten powder and when to freeze it--after the initial cooking.
I always follow the easiest recipe thru the way it says the first time and go from there. NOW I understand why they recommend you add seasonings, herbs, mushroom powder etc. to the gluten mix...it tastes of absolutely nothing, as is. I mean, imagine eating an eraser. OK as a chewing exercise...flavour, not so much! LOL I also understand why they suggest you work it very little (mine was almost as dense as me!) and if it weren't 100º out I might have tried baking instead of boiling it.
BUT...and it's a big but...after I had laughed at the way it swells up when you boil it and looks like something out of a biology lab, and tasted it and found it...well, completely tasteless...I sliced it up and marinaded it in an African barbecue sauce. And DH the carnivore tasted it and did NOT go "Gross!" or laugh at me about it. We agreed the recipe and method need "tweaking" and that I need to print out the instructions and follow them closely, but that we are definitely onto something, at less than a dollar a pound for pure food, no waste. No bones, no fat, no cholesterol...and cheap! He ate some and said maybe we should put it in a curry etc.
10 years ago or even 5 he would have laughed at me and made "cute" remarks all the time I was trying to eat it. Now he agrees we need to eat less meat and things like this will help that. From his point of view it is purely economic (he is facing disability retirement) but hey, any start is a good one. Now if I could just get him to eat things with leaves and roots... ::)
It's a terrific recipe. Just beware that cooked according to most variations of the recipe it is VERY hot (2 t. black pepper, 1/4 t. cayenne) so if you have issues with "heat" cut it back a little. The heat builds the more you eat it, too. The first couple of bites tasted great to me but I ended up not being able to finish mine. In my second batch I cut back to 1 t. black pepper and used paprika instead of cayenne. There was a hint of heat but it was not hot. It all ends up being very salami-pepperoni-ish so if you like that kind of thing you will probably like this.
I love heat! ::) Sounds like a seitan recipe I have to try!
It's a terrific recipe. Just beware that cooked according to most variations of the recipe it is VERY hot (2 t. black pepper, 1/4 t. cayenne) so if you have issues with "heat" cut it back a little. The heat builds the more you eat it, too. The first couple of bites tasted great to me but I ended up not being able to finish mine. In my second batch I cut back to 1 t. black pepper and used paprika instead of cayenne. There was a hint of heat but it was not hot. It all ends up being very salami-pepperoni-ish so if you like that kind of thing you will probably like this.
I just googled, found it in the ppk forum and saved a copy of the recipe. BTW, that version calls for an 1/8 tsp., so no wonder it was too hot with twice that much. My DH and I love spicy foods, so when I make it I'm going to use the 1/4 tsp. The pictures there look great. One thing I don't like about making the Seitan from the recipe in VwaV is that the outside of the chunks turn out kinda fluffy and not as firm as the inside. I made the Seitan-Portobello Stroganoff last night with it and it was excellent but still had fluffy bits. I wonder if you can use the Seitan spiced for the Fried Unchicken in a baked version. I'll have to experiment!
When i made seitan, i definitely did not like the texture, even after I cubed it and baked it in the oven. I also did not like how I flavored it. This sounds like it has more flavor added to it, so it will be less soggy and more spicy. I am going to try it one night this week. I still have a HUGE bag of vital wheat gluten that I didn't know what I'd do with since I hated the first Seitan I made.
I've made seitan a couple of times and I didn't like the texture either. Luckily, I cut the seitan into thinner strips before I boiled it, so then I dehydrated it and made jerky. It turns out pretty tasty - better than soy jerky IMO. Only the flavors intensify when it's dehydrated, so if you ever try it cut back a bit on the "flavorants".
I also like this Chicken Seitan recipe for jerky, http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-seitan/detail.aspx. I'm going to try this recipe for my next batch of Seitan O'Greatness.
BTW, that version calls for an 1/8 tsp., so no wonder it was too hot with twice that much.
Hmmm, perhaps 1/8 t. is what I used the first go 'round. I think I used 1/4 t. paprika in my second one. I have fooled around with the ingredients and measurements several times, so I'm forgetting what the original recipe (the one I used anyway) actually said. At any rate, it was HOT.
First I need to know one thing- is vital wheat gluten flour the same thing as vital wheat gluten? I know there are some vegwebbers who have mad seitan making skills. Please share your knowledge! Thanks! :)
yes. i believe they are the same thing what you don't want is high gluten flour, that is different.
yes. i believe they are the same thing what you don't want is high gluten flour, that is different.
Agreed. High gluten flour still has a lot of the non-protein elements of wheat flour in it. Here's a recipe I use for seitan (from another website) that I have had excellent results with. Cut back about 1/2 cup on the water for the dough.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Seitan/Detail.aspx
Also, I think the texture is better if you put the seitan into a cold broth and then bring it up to temperature rather than dropping it right into hot broth. Good luck!
I love making Seitan. However you find your vital wheat gluten, either in boxes by Bob's Red Mill or in bulk bins or even in your regular grocery store as vital wheat gluten flour next to the regular flour will depend on your resources.
I made the Fatfree Vegan's Barbecued Seitan Ribz and they were awesome. I highly recommend them for the easy recipe, simple directions and quick cooking.
I have boiled and baked seitan both. IMO, baked seitan is 100 times better than boiled. On the PPK, there is a seitan o' greatness recipe. You can also google "seitan o' greatness" and get tons of recipes. You basically mix up the seitan like normal then shape it into a log. Wrap it tightly with foil and twist the ends. Bake it at 350 for 60-90 mins. SO GOOD! :)
Here's my re-post of a great way to "bake" seitan. I've been using this recipe from Vegan Vittles for years:
From Vegan Vittles: Seitan Salami, Pepperonni & Pastrami,
Dry Ingredients
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (I've left it out and it's fine with out it)
Salami & Pepperoni Seasaonings:
1 Tbl. paprika
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. of dry mustard
1/4 t. onion granules
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
Pastrami Seasonings:
2 Tbl.paprika
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. black pepper
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1/8 t. ground allspice
Liquid Ingredients:
3/4 cup water
4 Tbl. tomato paste
2 Tbl. soy sauce
2 Tbl. olive oil (I double that amount)
3 cloves garlic pressed
1 t. salt
Place the gluten, NY, and the seasonings you are using in a large mixing bowl and stir.
Place the water, tomato paste, soy sauce, olive oil, and salt in a med. mixing bowl and whisk together. Pour into dry mixture and mix thoughly. If there is still flour around the edges mix a "tiny" amount of water (drips).
Now knead the gluten in the mixing bowl for a minute.
Form the gluten into one long log. Wrap the log in tin foil tightly and twist the ends.
Bake at 350.
Salami and Pastrami for 1 1/2 hours
Pepperoni for 60 minutes.
Unwrap the seitan and transfer to a cooling rack. When completey cool wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for several hours before eating
Have a few beers, glasses of wine, shots, or any other cocktail of choice while waiting (my own additional advice).
ENJOY!
-dave
Just a note - when people talk about boiling seitan, what they're really talking about it SIMMERING it. You don't want to boil it.
If you simmer it, it will be a soft (for something like barbecue). If you bake it, it will be pepperoni consistency (for something like sandwich "meat").
Just a note - when people talk about boiling seitan, what they're really talking about it SIMMERING it. You don't want to boil it.
If you simmer it, it will be a soft (for something like barbecue). If you bake it, it will be pepperoni consistency (for something like sandwich "meat").
I have to add....
Whenever I boil seitan.....I still use recipes where I bake or fry it....I never eat it boiled out of the pot....humbolt is SO very right...when boiling....it needs to be "barely" boiling....for a long period of time....minimum...1 hour. :)
I have never boiled seitan before. If it need to boil long time, is it OK to use pressure cooker? Have anyone done it before? How long it need to boil if I use pressure cooker?
I have never boiled seitan before. If it need to boil long time, is it OK to use pressure cooker? Have anyone done it before? How long it need to boil if I use pressure cooker?
I bring it almost to a boil and then turn the heat down to a low simmer. I cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar and check it every 10 minutes or so for about 45 minutes. Then it's done. Every once in a while take some tongs and move the pieces submerged in the liquid to the top of the pot and push the floaters under the liquid.
Allow to cool and store the seitan in the broth for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Take pieces out of the broth whenever you need them and prepare them as you wish. I often coat them in bread crumbs and yeast flakes and brown them in a little olive oil to make sandwiches out of.
See the recipe that I linked to earlier in this thread.
Thanks, guys, for all the help. You're all big, juicy peaches! I'll let you know how it goes. :)
Bump!
We've been making tons of baked seitan since this thread was incarnated, but my husband and I recently had an idea to make our own brats (like the T0furky brand). We really love their sun dried tomato brats, so I played around with the "dough" today trying to make a suitable sundried tomato/herb mixture. And I think I nailed it! I don't ever measure ingredients, so my recipe is a little touch and go, but here goes. This is my rip-off of the PPK version:
Ingredients:
1.5 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp. each of dried oregano, basil, crushed rosemary
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (NOT garlic salt)
1/2 c. diced sundried tomatoes
3/4 cups cold water
6 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp Braggs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp. vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
We just made a log of it today like the original recipe (and it's soooooo tasty!), but I think next time we are going to try to mold them into individual brats with the foil. I'll report back if/when we try it.
I'm new to this site, so forgive me if this topic is so exhausted. I have made seitan a bunch of times now trying to perfect the art, but cannot seem to do it. I have only made one batch that I actually like, but I think I liked it because I made it into fake chicken parm. Every other time it is way too chewy and the texture freaks me out. Sometimes i feel like I get a headache from my seitan, but perhaps this is just neurosis from my texture issue. I know there are tons of recipes on here and all over the internet, but how do i make seitan like they do in restaurants/the packs of pre-made seitan?
P.S. Does anyone else get headaches from eating seitan? Maybe it is just a weird personal seitan issue! =)
THANK YOU!
Thanks! That recipe also has texture tips! I will probably try that tonight for dinner.
I'm by no means a seitan expert, but I do prefer the texture of baked seitan to boiled. Here in Spain the store-bought coldcase seitan has all the texture and appeal of damp clay; the tinned kind from the Asian market is faaar too realistic in look and texture (they even imitate the "chicken skin" effect to the place it's grossly real) and the air in front of my face has more flavour, in spite of it being packed in soy and veg broth.
you're braver than I am! I have yet to try making my own. It scares me ;)
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