Date: Thu, 09 Nov 1995 11:13:59 -0800
From: "CORINNE B WHITESELL:" (ANCBW@acad2.alaska.edu)
I have received several requests for homemade Seitan
so here goes.
2 cups water
Stir in enough flour to make a firm dough
Put on floured board and knead thoroughly
So far this is the same as making bread.
Adequately kneading is ESSENTIAL so that the
gluten will be thoroughly developed.
Cover the lump of dough with water and leave
for about an hour. Then knead the dough IN
water until only the gluten is left. This will
require several changes of water. Sometimes I
finish by kneading it in the sink under running
water.
When only gluten is left, it will feel like a
sort of soft chewing gum and it will stick to
itself in any shape you want to mold it to with
your hands. It can be formed into patties, thin
sheets, stick rolls, etc.
I usually form it into stick rolls and cut it up
into bit sized pieces. Drop the pieces one at a
time into boiling water briefly, and remove as
soon as the pieces float up. Store in the refrig.
Will keep many days.
My favorite way to use these bite sized pieces is
in an old fashioned stew. Potatoes, carrots, onions,
onion gravy, etc. and seitan. This was very popular
even with my non-vegetarian family members. They
called it Citation Stew.
When I was a kid I used to chew on a handful of wheat
kernels out of the barn. After much chewing, all the
carbohydrates were digested out and just my cheap
"chewing gum" was left. This is the same principle
for preparing seitan.
Distressed about all those wasted and washed out
ingredients? It is a wonderful skin conditioner when
thrown into a tub bath. But it usually is too much
to save for a soup base.
kwvegan vegan