Gyro-style seitan

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 kg wheat flour
• 1 liter of water, cold
• 100 ml olive oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp yeast extract (e.g. Vitam-R from the health food store)
• ½ tsp caramel coloring, optional (for color only)
• 3 tsp marjoram
• 2 tsp thyme
• 3 tsp sweet paprika powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper, ground
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion granules
• Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Working time approx. 7 hours 30 minutes; Rest period approx. 2 days; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 days 9 hours

vegan

Combine flour and 1 liter of cold water in a large bowl until you have an elastic dough. You can knead it either with a food processor or by hand. Once the dough is elastic and dry (a few minutes), cover it with cold water and let it rest for about 30 to 60 minutes. Then start rinsing. Knead the dough in the water. This dissolves the starch from the dough, and the water becomes milky. The dough begins to break down. Place it in a fine sieve. Repeat the washing process several times with cold water. The water becomes less milky and more cloudy. The dough seems to dissolve at first, but after four or five rinses, it comes together again. I do a maximum of five rinses, as it’s good to leave some starch in the seitan. After the rinses, let the dough rest again (I let it drain in the fine sieve to make it firmer). After 30 to 60 minutes of resting time, steam the dough. You can use a saucepan with a steamer insert or a pressure cooker with a steamer insert. First, pull the dough into a long rope. Tie the rope together until you have a tight knotted bundle. Wrap these knots first in a sheet of baking paper, then in cheesecloth or a clean, boil-proof tea towel. Wrap a tight parcel. Place this parcel in the steamer insert and seal the pot. Steam for one hour. Then remove the pot from the heat and let it cool with the lid on. When the seitan is cold, unwrap it and chill it in a container in the refrigerator overnight. This is necessary for a firm consistency. The next day, cut the seitan into thin slices to give it a gyro-like texture. Mix together the remaining ingredients to make a marinade. Add the seitan pieces to the marinade, knead slightly, and let it marinate for several hours (preferably until the next day). Then fry in a large pan in neutral vegetable oil until the desired consistency is reached.