Homemade seitan with boiled vegetables and salsa verde

Ingredients

For 1 serving

• Vital wheat gluten45 g
• Vegetable broth600 g
• Carrots100 g
• Potatoes120 g
• Celery50 g
• Parsley10 g
• Capers5 g
• White wine vinegar1 teaspoon
• Extra virgin olive oil2 teaspoons
• Saltto taste

Contains: gluten, celery, sulphites,

In season: October – March

Method

1. Heat the vegetable stock in a pot. In a bowl knead the vital wheat gluten with about the same weight of cold water for 2–3 minutes, until you have an elastic, firm dough.
2. Shape it into a log, wrap it tightly in a clean cloth (or cheesecloth) and tie the ends with kitchen string: the seitan swells as it cooks and the cloth keeps its shape.
3. Lower it into the boiling stock, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, over low heat for 50 minutes, turning it halfway; the stock should barely bubble, not boil hard.
4. Meanwhile peel the carrots and potatoes and cut them into pieces of about 3 cm; string the celery and cut it into chunks. Add them to the stock for the last 20 minutes and cook until tender.
5. Make the salsa verde: very finely chop the parsley and rinsed capers and mix them with the oil, white wine vinegar and a pinch of salt.
6. Lift out the seitan, unwrap it, let it cool for 2 minutes and slice it; serve it with the drained vegetables and the salsa verde.