Seitan and yuba for Easter

Hail Seitan
 (Not to be confused with Satan. I had to — the phonetic similarity still cracks me up.
 Though honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone out there took it seriously and saw in seitan a satanic conspiracy.)

Ingredients:

• 200 g seitan powder
• 50 g hemp flour
• 50 g sun-dried tomatoes in oil
• 50 g oil from sun-dried tomatoes
• 30 g hot (or mild) pepper paste
• 1/2 tsp ground juniper
• 1/3 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp smoked salt
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 50 ml broth
• 1 tbsp cremo balsamico
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika

Preparation:

Blend the sun-dried tomatoes with the oil.
 If you don’t have pepper paste, roast or steam a pepper (preferably wrapped in foil), peel after cooling, and blend it with the tomatoes.
 Add all remaining ingredients to the seitan powder and knead into a smooth, uniform dough.
 Wrap the dough tightly in cling film or aluminum foil and steam for 1 hour.

Variations:

The flavor of most sausages and cold cuts isn’t really from the meat, but from the smoke, spices, and curing process — so apply the same principle to seitan!
 Use the same spices you would for meat-based sausages, even store-bought mixes.
 Just remember: you’ll likely need to use a little more than you would with meat.
 Ingredients like soy sauce, Worcestershire, marmite, and any form of tomato add a rich umami note, essential for plant-based meats.

Notes:

If you don’t have a steamer, you can boil the tightly wrapped seitan in water for an hour.

Serving:

Best served pan-fried on both sides in hot oil. Enjoy warm or cold.

Exotic Yuba

Yuba is exotic by nature. It’s a by-product of tofu-making — the “skin” that forms on the surface of simmering soy milk, collected and dried.
 You’ll often find it in sheet form, but I prefer the stick variety I used for this recipe.
 I figured if it’s exotic, why not go all in on the exotic flavors?

Ingredients:

• 100 g dried yuba sticks
• 1 tbsp dried tamarind
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp miso
• 1 tbsp cremo balsamico
• 1 tbsp ground kaffir lime leaf
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• Dark sesame oil

Preparation:

Break the yuba sticks into smaller pieces. Mix all other ingredients with a little water.
 Place the yuba in a small pot, pour over the marinade, and add enough water to cover it.
 Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to the lowest possible and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
 Let cool. Drain and fry in hot oil.

Variations:

As with seitan, the key is in the spices and oils. I used strong, aromatic sesame oil, but peanut oil would work well too. And if you don’t have those, don’t worry, your world (or dinner) won’t fall apart.

Notes:

This recipe works beautifully in a multicooker or anything like the cult classic Thermomix — essentially any sealed pot where you can keep a stable 95°C (203°F).
 When cooking for maximum flavor, the liquid should never fully boil — just a few tiny bubbles surfacing is ideal.
 Boiling makes you lose aroma, flavor, and the nuances you’re trying to extract.

Serving:

Serve hot or cold.

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Preparing these recipes takes time, effort, and money (especially for testing and ingredients that aren’t cheap). Your support encourages me to continue.