Seitan: What on earth is that?

Seitan is one of those foods that always needs an explanation, Seitan is a high protein food made from the gluten in wheat which takes on the meaty texture and can be used to replace meat. It can be seasoned, shaped and cooked in so many different ways.  There are two ways to make it, the washed flour method, using all purpose flour , quiet messy, but oddly satisfying washing away all the starch to produce stretchy gluten or with Vital wheat gluten which is quicker and less messy.

Neither way is "better"

This time we decided to make Seitan using the washed flour method.

It is definitely a trust the process food, washing a ball of dough not only sounds weird, but feels weird too, the texture completely changes and its a long process washing in a new bowl of clean water every 5 minutes until the water is no longer cloudy, your'e left with a ball of dough a fraction of the size and a completely different texture than you started. But once cooked you are left with a fantastic product that is a great replacement for meat as with tofu it's a great blank canvas so when seasoned it's completely transformed.

Recipe:

• 6 cups all purpose flour
• 2 3/4 cups of warm water

Broth

• 6 cup water 
• stock cube
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp onion granules
• 2 tsp garlic granules
• seasoning

1. Mix together and knead for 5-10 minutes, or as I did, chuck in the bread machine in the dough setting.
2. Place the dough ball in a bowl of cold water and allow it to sit for a hour
3. Then move to a bowl of fresh cold water and stretch the dough in the water, pulling and stretching for 5 minutes, keep changing the water for a fresh bowl of cold water and wash again, 4-6 times until the dough it stretchy and firmer, and the water clearer.   You can keep the starch  water from the first 3 washes and store in the fridge for other recipes such as vegan Bacon, creamy cheese sauces, or pancakes
4. Squeeze out moisture and sit for 10 minutes whilst you prepare the broth
5. Add water to the pan and stock cube, I used OXO meat free chicken, you can change this to suit the end goal, it's versatile so you can add any flavour. 
6. Add in the soy sauce, garlic and onion granules and season.
7. Pull the dough to make a long strip and cut into 3 pieces leaving attached at the top and then plait the dough, then knot it, pull and knot it again, this adds structure to the dough.
8. Bring to broth to  boil then reduce to a simmer, add the dough ball in and simmer for 1 hour, turn half way
9. Take off heat and allow to sit and cool in broth
10. Either slice or tear off the dough to form meat like pieces

We used half for sliced pieces for sandwiches and the other half was pulled to go with the dinner, we put some gravy granules into the broth and thickened up to make a grave, served with mash and vegetable, and Lilly loved it and asked for seconds, peanut and Alfie not so keen. 

The washed method does take time and patience, it was fascinating to watch it change, one very messy kitchen after but definitely worth it especially as I know exactly what went into my daughters food, as I am not a huge fan of lots of fake meats.  

It goes without saying that because it's made from gluten it's not suitable for anyone with Coeliac disease or gluten allergy/sensitivity.