You can slice this vegan ham deli-thin or chunky-style for sandwiches, add it to pizzas as "Canadian Bacon," even serve it as a loaf on holidays. The more I work with seitan, the more impressed I become with its near-magical properties as a culinary chameleon. This stuff is amazing!
Ingredients:
12 oz firm tofu. An equivalent amount of white cannellini beans mashed into a paste should work, as well, for folks avoiding soy products. I haven't tried it that way, but I see no reason that it wouldn't work…
3 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
1 3/4 cups water
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons hickory liquid smoke
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
Red food coloring
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine everything except the vital wheat gluten in a blender. Puree until very smooth. Add red food coloring just a drop or two at a time as you blend, until you achieve a pinkish hue that looks like "ham" to you.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the contents of the blender with the vital wheat gluten. Mix with your hands until it forms a nice dough. Knead vigorously for at least 5 minutes. If you have a mixer with a dough-hook that can knead the dough for you, even better. Let it go at least 5 minutes on the highest speed until the dough is smooth. Then let the dough rest for about 10 minutes before moving on.
4. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log, and then wrap it in heavy duty foil. Twist the ends like a tootsie roll. A short, thick log is better than a long thin one – you're making a "loaf" here, not a sausage!
5. Now steam for one hour. How you steam your logs is up to you and the equipment at your disposal. Some folks have big fancy steamers made just for this purpose, and that works great… I don't own special equipment, so I steam seitan using a large stockpot with a few of inches of water in the bottom. I have a stainless steel colander that is just the right size to slide down into the pot and catch on the rim, hovering over the water quite stably. The stockpot lid fits right on top. Turn up the heat and steam away!
6. Move the logs from the steamer to a cookie sheet. DO NOT REMOVE THE FOIL! Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. The seitan will swell and press against the foil as it bakes. That's good, you want that!
7. Let cool to room temperature before handling. This recipe makes a lot, so unless you plan to serve your vegan ham in whole logs for a main course meal, divide it into segments, and keep one in the fridge for immediate use. Put the rest in freezer bags or containers and freeze till you need them!