Seitan. Mock duck. Wheat meat. Gluten meat. (Japanese: セイタン) Whatever you call it, seitan originated in Asia where vegetarian Buddhists used it in place of meat for centuries. Its spread in popularity is credited to the macrobiotic food movement which began in Japan. The word is not actually Japanese, but based in it, which is why I pronounce it “say-TAHN,” not “Satan.”
It is made from gluten, the main protein of wheat. It is made by washing wheat flour dough with water until all the starch granules have been removed, leaving the sticky insoluble gluten as an elastic mass which is then cooked before being eaten.
Gluten is the protein found in wheat which, when mixed with water, forms into long stretchy strings that give bread its structure. When you develop those strands, rinse off the starch, and cook the gluten bits, you get seitan. The chewy texture is quite similar to meat — I’ve definitely had seitan-based dishes that I’ve had to double-check that they were actually meat-free.
Wheat gluten is an alternative to soybean-based foods such as tofu, which are sometimes used as meat substitutes. Some types of wheat gluten have a chewy or stringy texture that resembles meat more than other substitutes. See below for places in London where you can eat seitan.
Ingredients for the dough
- 1 kilogram whole wheat flour (it must be whole wheat, white flour will give you mush)
- 520 ml cold water
For the broth
- 940 ml water
- 60 ml soy sauce
- ½ chopped onion
- 1 tbs. miso paste
- 1 medium tomato, cut in quarters
- 2 cloves garlic
Instructions
- Mix flour and water until you have a stiff dough.
- Form dough into a ball, place in a bowl, and cover with cold water. Cover and let stand 4-8 hours.
- Knead the dough and rinse until water runs clear, about 10 minutes. Squeeze dough and press out as much liquid and air as possible. Use a sharp knife or a bench scraper to cut the gluten into bite-sized pieces.
- Combine ingredients for broth (or use your preferred vegetable stock) and bring to a boil.
- Drop gluten pieces into boiling broth and return to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer.
- Cook, turning gluten pieces occasionally, until the broth is mostly absorbed and reduced, about 30 minutes. Remove onion and tomato pieces.
- To use seitan right away, drain and sauté in a little oil. To store, cover with broth and keep refrigerated up to a week, or frozen.
- Thicken and reduce broth as a gravy if desired.
One of my favourite places to eat seitan is The Waiting Room, a small café on Deptford High Street (London SE8) not too far from Deptford Station. They sell Seitan “ribs” and “fried chicken”.
Follow The Waiting Room on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
UPDATE (31/10/16): The people who run The Waiting Room have opened a small eatery on Deptford Broadway called “The Full Nelson“. The seitan dishes are no longer served at the Waiting Room, but it still has delicious vegan fast food. The two places are about a 5-10 minute walk from each other at opposite ends of Deptford High Street.
UPDATE (06/12/16): Temple of Seitan are opening the first vegan “fried chicken” shop in January 2017 in Hackney (10 Morning Lane, Hackney, London E9 6SA). It’s exciting news as I’ve sampled Temple of Seitan’s fried chicken in the above-mentioned Waiting Room.
Follow Temple of Seitan on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Catch Temple of Seitan at the Vegan Christmas Market on Saturday December 17, 2016. Details here and you can RSVP on Facebook.
Ste's Vegan Recipes 