Is Seitan Good for You? Or You Can Easily Make Your Own, (See Gluten Is High in Protein and Eaten in the Page Opposite for the Recipe)

Demuths reveals more about the versatile ingredient Seitaneverybody is talking about

What is gluten? Gluten is comprised of proteins found only in wheat and related cereal grains (wheat, barley, rye). There are many other proteins in these grains. The common proteins include the What is seitan? water-soluble protein groups – albumin, Seitan is also know as vital wheat globulin and proteoses plus two water- protein, textured wheat protein, wheat insoluble protein groups, glutenin and gluten, vital wheat gluten. Wheat gliadin, which together are known as gluten. gluten as a protein source is popular Gluten is not the only protein in the wheats. in China and is called ‘mock meat’ for In fact, gluten accounts for only about 75-85% its comparison in texture. The Chinese of the total protein in the wheat berry. also like wheat gluten as it has a ﬂ avour similar to MSG. The Japanese name for wheat gluten is seitan pronounced ‘say- tan’ and was introduced in the 60s as part of the macrobiotic diet. You can buy seitan in tins or jars, cooked and marinated and ready to eat, Is seitan good for you? or you can easily make your own, (see Gluten is high in protein and eaten in the page opposite for the recipe). moderation for most people causes no Seitan as a meat substitute means adverse eﬀ ect. eating concentrated gluten extract. Read on to discover more about gluten.

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VFL26.DemuthsSeitan.FINAL.indd 4 01/06/2018 11:20 Gluten and health Gluten is responsible for several health problems and is a stomach irritant. Coeliac disease is a permanent intolerance to gluten, which is an immunological disease. There are allergies to gluten and degrees of sensitivity, all of which cause abdominal disturbances, such as bloating, pain and diarrhoea. Coeliacs must have a gluten-free diet and the others may benefi t to varying degrees with gluten exclusion. Gluten from additives or wheat contamination in food processing and manufacture can be a major problem to identify or avoid. Many sufferers with a mild intolerance can benefi t from sourdough bread. The long fermentation times used in sourdough baking break down the gliadin fraction of gluten and sufferers often fi nd sourdough bread easier to digest. But labels can be misleading so make your own sourdough or check with the baker. There appears to be an increased reporting in gluten Homemade seitan sensitivity. This may be due to a general increase in the protein content of bread wheat over the years or an It’s easy to make seitan at home using the increase in the addition of gluten additive (vital gluten). ingredients from your storecupboard. Use it to make many meals including barbecued ‘ribs’ and delicious ‘chorizo’ dishes to tasty stir-fries and curry bowls

By Erin Baker Makes 1 | Prep 30 mins | Cook 50 mins | Calories 946 (per serving)

140g (5oz) vital wheat gluten fl our 2 garlic cloves, made into a paste 3 tbsp nutritional yeast fl akes or grated using a small grater or microplane 125ml (4½fl oz) cold vegetable stock FOR THE SIMMERING BROTH 3 tbsp soy sauce/shoyu 1 ltr (35fl oz) vegetable stock 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 ltr (35fl oz) water 1 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp soy sauce/shoyu How to make seitan 1 Fill a pot with the water, stock and soy sauce. Cover and bring to a boil. Seitan can be made by creating a salt-free dough made 2 In the meantime, in a large bowl mix together gluten and yeast. In a smaller with wholewheat fl our and water. The dough is then bowl mix together stock, soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Pour washed under a running tap to remove the wheat starch, the wet into the dry and combine with a wooden spoon until most of the bran and other water-soluble proteins. You are then left moisture has absorbed and partially clumped up with the dry ingredients. with a piece of pliable insoluble gluten. The shortcut is to buy vital wheat gluten fl our and mix with water. 3 Use your hands and knead for about 3 minutes, until it’s an elastic dough, longer if you want a chewier texture. Let rest for 5 minutes. Divide into three equal pieces with a knife and then knead those pieces in your hand just to stretch them out a bit. What to make with seitan 4 Once the broth is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer. Add the gluten You can make dishes such as crispy seitan Chinese pieces and partially cover the pot so that steam can escape. It is important pancakes, Seitan chorizo, BBQ seitan strips or a not to boil the broth at this point. You want a gentle simmer with a few Seitan and mushroom puff pie. bubbles coming to the surface at a time. Let simmer for 45 minutes, turning occasionally. If the broth turns to a boil, remove the lid for a bit. Turn the heat off and take the lid off, let sit for 15 minutes. Recipe from Erin Baker of The 5 Remove from the broth and place in a strainer until it is cool enough to Natural Cookery School. handle. Slice and use as desired. Erin teaches the Seitan courses at Demuths Cookery School www.demuths.co.uk 20.6g 4.6g 8.8g 4.5g 135g www.demuths.co.uk/cookery- courses/course/seitan-making-skills Total fat Saturates Salt Sugar Protein

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