Vegan Korean Fried 'Chicken'

Submitted by Izy Hossack

"These little bites are made a seitan, a meat substitute made from a protein called vital wheat gluten. You can find it in health food stores or online and it comes as a flour which you make into a dough. Here I've deep fried little pieces of it and then coated them in a hot-sweet sauce made with a Korean fermented chilli paste called gochujang - many brands of it are vegan but just check the label to make sure!"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 30mins
• Ingredients: 20
• Yields: 30-40 pieces

ingredients

• For the seitan

• 1 1⁄2 cups vital wheat gluten
• 1 teaspoon garlic granules
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• For the coating

• 2⁄3 cup non-dairy milk
• 1⁄2 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic granules

• For the sauce

• 2 tablespoons gochujang
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 6 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• To serve

• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 scallion, finely sliced

directions

1. In a large bowl mix the vital wheat gluten, garlic granules, dried oregano, black pepper and salt. Add the vegetable broth and olive oil. Stir until you get a spongey dough. Tip out onto a clean work surface and knead for a few minutes to make the dough come together. Pinch off ½-inch chunks of dough and place into a steamer basket – I use a bamboo steamer lined with baking paper with holes poked in it, I can stack up the layers of the steamer so I can steam the whole batch of seitan at once. Place the steamer over a large pan of boiling water and on the stove on a low heat. Let steam for 40 minutes, topping the pan up with more water as needed to stop it going dry. Remove from the steamer and let cool.
2. Take two wide, shallow bowls and place the non-dairy milk into one and the cornstarch, 5-spice and garlic garnules into the other. Dip the seitan pieces into the non-dairy milk then into the cornstarch and place onto a baking sheet.
3. Heat a ½-inch depth of vegetable oil in a deep skillet to 300°F Lower in a few pieces of coated seitan and cook until pale with a crust forming on the outside, remove to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Repeat with all the seitan.
4. Increase the heat of the oil to 350 F and lower in a few pieces of seitan. Cook until golden and remove to a baking sheet lined with fresh paper towels. Repeat with all the seitan then tip into a large bowl.
5. Make the sauce by combining the sauce ingredients in a small pot and heating on the stove over a medium heat until bubbling. Pour the hot sauce over the fried seitan in the bowl and toss together using two large spoons to coat all the pieces in sauce. Tip onto a serving dish and sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced scallions. Serve hot.