Fig & Wild Rice Seitan Roulade Part 1 - Seitan & Stock
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the Seitan
- 1½ cups vital wheat gluten
- ¼ cup almond meal
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed & finely chopped
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 6½ cups vegetable stock, divided
- ¼ cup olive oil
For the Stuffing
- 1½ cups mixed wild & brown rice
- 3 cups water
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed & finely chopped
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 cup dried figs, chopped
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup almond meal
- ½ cup vegetable stock
- handful fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
For Cooking Stock
- 1 large onion, cut in sixths
- 2 ribs celery, quartered
- 3 parsnips, quartered
- 3 carrots, quartered
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2-3 cups vegetable stock
- ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
Special Equipment
- cheesecloth
How-to
Prepare the Seitan
- Preheat oven to 350º
- Prepare a large covered dish for the seitan, filling it with 4 cups of the vegetable stock
- Combine vital wheat gluten with the almond meal, chopped garlic, sea salt and black pepper. Stir to combine. In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk 1½ cups of the vegetable stock and olive oil together. Pour the wet mixture slowly over the dry and stir to form a wet dough
- Scoop the dough out onto a clean surface and pat into a rectangle roughly 8 x 12". Cover with a length of double thick cheesecloth, leaving a generous overhang of 5-6" on each end. Beginning at the end furthest away from you, begin to loosely roll the rectangle toward you, covering the exposed seitan with the extra cheesecloth as you go
- Place the fully wrapped roulade in the vegetable stock and cover the dish. Bake covered for 1½ hours. Remove from oven and allow the roulade to cool completely in the dish for several hours. Do not discard the broth
Make the Stuffing
- Cook the rice in 3 cups of water
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat
- Add the shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened
- Add garlic and cook until golden brown. Add celery, stirring for a minute to soften slightly
- Scoop the cooked rice into the skillet and add the figs, bread crumbs, almond meal and stock. Stir to combine and heat through, 4-5 minutes. Remove the heat, add in parsley and season with salt and pepper
Prepare the Stock
- Remove the roulade from its cooking pot and set aside. Combine all above ingredients with the remaining stock in the pot and stir
To Assemble
- Unroll the seitan and remove its cheesecloth
- Gently flatten the seitan on a clean surface and spread with the stuffing
- Use a lightly oiled hand to press the stuffing flat against the seitan
- Loosely re-roll the seitan, carefully pressing the stuffing in if it falls out. Once fully rolled, re-wrap the roulade in a slightly loose cheesecloth. You may also choose to tie the roll with kitchen twine, but leave some room for the seitan to expand as it cooks
- Place the wrapped roll back in the pot, arranging the vegetables around it and adding any additional stock to ensure that the liquid covers at least half of the roulade
- Bake covered for 1½ - 2 hours, turning halfway through
To Serve
- Lift the roulade out, unwrap the cheesecloth and cut in ½" slices
- The vegetables may be served as is alongside the roulade or puree them with some of the stock to make a simple sauce that is good with the roulade or with an accompaniment of mashed potatoes
Notes on Ingredients
- Vital wheat gluten can be found in many stores, often in the baking section, or check the bulk section of health food stores for a less expensive option
- Almond meal, sometimes called almond flour, can be purchased pre-made or you can make your own by simply toasting raw almonds lightly for 10 minutes in a 350º oven, allowing them to cool completely and then processing into a fine powder