Seitan
 

Hey everyone--

So I've got this box of vital wheat gluten in my fridge and I want to make seitan-- Now I've never made it before and I know about the PPK seitan-o-greatness and everything... What I'm really more interested in though is the texture that you find @ a vegan chinese restaurant (if you've ever been to one), where the "chicken" is sort of crunchy (on the outside) and spongey/chewy at the same time.

Who's got seitan experience? PPK style or otherwise?

:)

Best!
:carrot:

I tried making seitan once, it didn't work out. I think you just use it like you would chicken. And I think the things in chinese food is deepfried tofu, at least that's what I've come across in chinese takeaways.

Check out this thread.
I personally haven't found a seitan I'm overly in love with and if I have a hankering for it I genrally buy the Whitewave brand.

That's a great thread... thanks for the link!

I guess I'll just have to try it a few times and see what happens :)

I've been making seitan quite a bit. The recipes I follow are from every day dish.

They turn out great.
http://www.everydaydish.tv/index.php...ow&category=25

If you are looking for the style you'd find in your chinese restaurant, you might want to look for the book "Authentic Chinese Cuisine" by Bryanna Clark Grogan. You could also look at her website to see if she has any chinese style seitan recipes, I know she has others:
http://www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com

If you want your seitan to be like chicken/turkey cover it in sheets of beancurd! It makes a "skin" just like poultry. When you cook it, baste it just like you would a turkey - it turns out great.

I have made a baked seitan log that was supposed to be like sausage or pepperoni. It had the texture of meatballs or sausage when it was sliced and tasted slightly like sausage. My meat lovin' husband and kids enjoyed it. I think we may have fed it to some meat eater friends of my husband and they did not die ;) The recipe may have been a version of the seitan of greatness.

Give baked seitan a try, it is easy! I am sure there are recipes that have you flavor it in different ways and you could saute the outside to make it crispy.

My favorite chinese place - i am pretty sure they use some sort of soy product, not seitan. It reminds me of dried bean curd sticks, only nuggets. Not at all related to tofu.

If you have Veganomicon, the chick pea cutlets are really good. Chick peas and wheat gluten and spices.