Making "Meat" from Flour?????
Say WHaaaaat????? Yes, it's possible, and it tastes INCREADIBLE. This high protein plant based meat alternative is most commonly referred to as Seitan. Seitan is extremely popular amongst vegans, and omni's alike with a Facebook page dedicated to its appreciation that has over 99THOUSAND members! I have been making seitan for several years with varying degrees of successes and failures with this last time being the holy grail of seitan excellence! We are using a washed flour method, accelerated.
For this recipe you'll need flour, A LOT OF FLOUR, water, a strong arm, time, a big bowl, strainer, a skillet and of course Momma Jah's Adobo. If you haven't gotten yours yet, its ok baby. Get at me when you can. Use what you have in the cabinet in the meantime.
Now to the Recipe
Start off with at least 6 cups of all purpose flour in a large bowl. I know; its a lot, but remember that washing I mentioned earlier, it's going to create MAJOR shrinkage.
Slowly add water and mix with your hands until a ball of dough starts to forms.
Once dough forms begin kneeing, and don't stop for at LEAST15 mins. This is the most important step in the process. If you get tired tap in a kid, or your partner, but KNEAD LIKE YOU NEVER KNEADED BEFORE! The intense kneading stretches, strengthens, and forms the gluten fibers that create the shredded texture we are looking for.
Once the dough has become firm, slightly shiny, and you no longer feel any stickiness or moisture it is ready to go back in the big bowl.
Add cool water into your bowl with your doughball until submerged.
Allow it to sit for 10- 15 mins.
*This would be a great time to clean up that mess you done made on the counter. Clean as you cook, cuz your Momma raised you right!
Now to the Washing.
If you grew up like I did you washed one or more items in the sink. This is very much like that.
With your hands begin to squeeze and "rinse" your dough ball. The water will start to look like milk and your ball will break apart. That is what you want.
Continue to wash and rinse your now strands of dough. Dumping your milky water and adding fresh water periodically.
When your strands become hard to handle transfer to your strainer. You want something like a pasta strainer to give enough room for the water to run through without getting clogged up.
As the water becomes clearer you'll notice two things. Your ball of dough is waaayyyy smaller that you started. Spinach effect if you will lol. As well as the change in texture.
Once the water is completely clear and your strands have come back together into a smaller mass give the both of ya'll rest for a bit. 15 min minimum.
WHEW you made it this far! I promise the rest is not nearly as labor intensive. Keep your eye in the prize. Meat from flour remember?!
Pat your gluten ball dry and continue to work your dough, stretching it as long as it will allow. If you have kneaded the dough long enough your gluten will stretch without crumbling. If it does, no fear. As you saw in the video you will still have an amazing outcome.
Liberally Season your seitan dough, and lay out on a flat surface.
Bellow is the most hilarious diagram you'll ever see. You are encouraged to roast. I bet you know what I'm bout to explain though.
1. Cut stretched dough into five strips.
2. Twist the outer two strands together.
3. Braid the now three strands together.
4. Tie the braid into as many knots as you can and tuck any lose ends into the ball.
Warm a cast iron skillet on medium high heat, and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet.
Add your seitan to your hot skillet and brown on each side (7-10 mins). If it starts smoking, its too hot. Turn it down.
Add 4 cups of water, and cover your skillet.
Turn down to medium heat and allow your baby to hang out in a low boil for 1 hour, flipping half way through.
You may need to add more water doing the boiling process.
Hour is up, water evaporated, and you have something that looks waaaayyyyy different than the flour and water we started with.
Using 2 forks, shred your seitan into whatever sizes you desire.
In the video I demonstrated a fried version that is prefect for saucing.
The blog post image highlights a sautéed version that was tossed in a hot pan with a little olive oil and a couple pinches of Momma Jah's Adobo.
There are so many different ways you can dress these protein packed babies up.
Flavor ideas:
chick'n fried rice (brown/cauliflower rice are my personal favorite)
buffalo wings
fajita strips
grilled chick'n for salads and wraps.
No pollo guisado
chick'n noodle soup
The possibilities are endless.
How will you enjoy the fruits of your labor?
The video for this recipe can be found on the Momma Jah's YouTube channel