Vegan Chicken

This recipe was so fun to create and test! Before turning vegan - I’m not going to lie - I loved the taste & versatility of chicken. In the Cameroonian community, it’s a staple ingredient; I even grew up with chickens running around in my grandpa’s house. Little me didn’t know any better and thought they were my pets, I would spend hours talking to them and chasing them around.

When I turned vegan, vegan chicken was certainly not what it is now! Different types are popping up left, right & centre - it’s crazy (in a good way)! However, it’s still hard to find vegan chicken that is succulent, doesn’t have a chalky taste & texture or leave your mouth dry. This recipe offers an alternative we have all been looking for: juicy, flavourful vegan chicken - WINNER, WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!

First, let’s talk about seitan and vital wheat gluten, the key ingredient for your new favourite chicken alternative. As always, Wikipedia explains it so well:

“Wheat gluten is a food made from gluten, the main protein of wheat. It is made by washing wheat flour dough with water until all the starch granules have been removed, leaving the sticky insoluble gluten as an elastic mass, which is then cooked before being eaten.” [1]

These starch granules are then dried and ground into a powder, to ensure long shelf life and make it more versatile.

We Brits can’t take this creation as our own, the likes of China, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam have been cooking and eating it for years! Thank you for bringing such a great ingredient to our country and enabling us to create tasty meat-free foods to enjoy, without feeling like we are missing out. 

Makes 12 individual vegan chicken patties

Vegan | Nut-free

Ingredients

Stage 1

200ml hot water

1 vegetable stock cube

Stage 2

1 tbsp Schwartz chicken seasoning (or any other vegan chicken seasoning)

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried rosemary

300g firm tofu

Stage 3

140g vital wheat gluten

1 tbsp chickpea flour (gramm flour)

1 tsp baking powder

Stage 4

1 litre water

2 tbsp Schwartz chicken seasoning (or any other vegan chicken seasoning)

Prep work          

1. Mix the stock cube with 200ml hot water until fully dissolved. It is important not to mix vital wheat gluten with boiling water, so ensure you have let the stock cool for 5-10 minutes before use.     

2. Weigh out stage 2 and stage 3 in separate bowls - this will make it easier when combining ingredients.             

Equipment needed

1. Food processor/blender

2. Spatula

3. Large mixing bowl

4. Medium sized pan

5. Kettle

6. Stove

7. Scales

8. Tsp and tbsp measures

9. Spider/slotted spoon

10. Cooling rack or tea towel

11. Large freezer-safe container

Method:

1.       In a food processor or blender add stages 1 and 2 (stock, chicken seasoning, dried sage, thyme, rosemary and tofu), blend until smooth and all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Ensure to scrape down the sides halfway through.

2.       Add the blended mixture and stage 3 (vital wheat gluten, chickpea flour and baking powder), into a large mixing bowl and combine using a spatula until a dough begins to form. Then, tip out onto a flat surface and with your hands knead the dough for 5 minutes. The dough will remain a bit wet to touch; this is fine.

3.       Cover the dough and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

4.       After resting, bring stage 4 (1 litre water and 2 tbsp Schwartz chicken seasoning) to boil in a medium sized pan. Once it’s boiled, reduce to a low simmer. Make sure it stays simmering throughout the cooking process as you don’t want to cook the vegan chicken in boiling water.

5.         Divide the dough into approx. 20g and stretch out to patties until 2 inches thick. TIP: stretch only from the outer edges to prevent the dough from breaking. The dough will shrink back a bit; this is fine.

6.       Drop them in the simmering stock – TIP: do not attempt to cook more than 4 or 5 patties at a time, dependent on how big your pan is. They should float after being in the pan for 1 minute, cook for a further 8-10 minutes. Once they are cooked place them on a cooling rack or tea towel to drain and get rid of any excess water, repeat the process for the rest of the dough.

7. Once the patties and stock are cooled completely, transfer the stock to a large container. Place the cooked chicken back into the liquid to keep it moist, store in the fridge and eat within five days. If you want to freeze the chicken, simply place the patties (without the stock) in a container and freeze. Ensure to eat within three months. You can also freeze the stock separately to use in stews or soups – zero waste!

8. To cook the patties from fresh or after defrosting, all you have to do is fry them in a pan or grill for 2-3 minutes each side and you have vegan chicken! Perfect for salads, burgers or pasta dishes. Get creative with it!