With pre-made wheat gluten, we can prepare a sumptuous stuffed seitan roast with carrots and zucchini that rivals meat. I will explain my quick preparation method and show you how to achieve a crispy crust.
Ready-made gluten preparations make things easier, but you can also extract the gluten directly from flour yourself. If you have time to spare, follow my step-by-step tutorial on How to Extract Gluten from Wheat Flour.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Portions: 8People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 11.3 oz wheat gluten (natural powdered preparation)
- 2 cups water
- to taste marinade spices (for roasts, rosemary, garlic, paprika, soy sauce, black pepper)
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 carrot + 1 zucchini
- to taste olive oil
- to taste vegetable broth (with your choice of vegetables and spices)
- roasting twine or a net
Preparation
1 – Start with the seitan dough and marinating. For the best result, I recommend preparing it the day before, keeping it in a rich marinade to flavor the wheat gluten. With a 320-gram package of seitan mix, you’ll get a 2.2 lb roast.
2 – In a bowl, put the powdered gluten and pour water over it. Knead the mixture until it becomes compact. In the same bowl, pour in the wine, oil, and all the marinade spices. I use garlic powder, rosemary, paprika, and a mix of roast spices. Add a few tablespoons of soy sauce and let it marinate in the fridge.
3 – During marination, turn the seitan dough at least twice, to let it flavor evenly. Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to thinly slice the zucchini and carrot. Blanch the vegetables in salted water or vegetable broth, drain them al dente, and set aside.
4 – Prepare the vegetable broth with your choice of vegetables and spices, you’ll need it for the first cooking of the roast. I make it with onion, carrot, celery, a bay leaf, a sheet of seaweed (optional), a whole garlic clove, salt, or soy sauce. Cook the broth and set aside.
5 – After marinating the seitan, drain it and place it on a wide tray. Keep the marinade. Spread the seitan with your hands and flatten it, but not too thinly, or it will tear. Cover it with the zucchini and carrot slices and roll it up to form a roast shape. If you’re skilled, tie it with kitchen twine, or use an elastic roast net.
6 – Place the roast in a large pot that can hold it and pour vegetable broth over it until it’s three-quarters of the roast’s height. From the moment it boils, cook it slowly for at least 1 hour, turning it occasionally to prevent sticking.
7 – After an hour of cooking, transfer the roast to a deep pan, where you have heated the oil. Brown the roast on both sides and pour the marinade over it. Continue to brown it over medium-low heat until a golden crust forms. You can also do this in the oven, but I find it more practical and faster on the stovetop.
8 – Let the seitan roast cool before removing the twine or net. Slice it and drizzle it with the cooking jus. Serve it with oven-roasted potatoes or vegetables of your choice. It keeps for several days in the fridge, whole or sliced, and can be reheated simply in a pan before serving.
