substitutionsveganvegetarian
How can I create a homemade product with that has the texture, flavor, and cooking properties of chicken, but is vegetarian (or vegan)?
I'm inspired by the Lightlife, the Sipz orange "chicken", and Veggie Grill "burgers" but am looking for something more flexible that I can make myself.
I'm not looking for a specific recipe, but rather general techniques and ingredients to use as a starting point.
I'd do a reduction of PX dessert sherry, seasoned with salt and a mix of peppers (add more spices to taste). It's not exactly a replacement of soy sauce, but it has a dark, rich flavor as well.
You can either get fresh or dried yuba, the dried one has to be soaked.
When I made a tofu turkey I soaked the yuba sheat for about 10 minutes in warm water before wrapping it around the "meat". The tofu turkey had already been baking in the oven for around 1 hour when I added the skin. After applying the yuba I rosted the whole thing in the oven until the skin was brown (maybe 30 minutes), brushing occationally with marinade. Skin came out perfect and had a nice crispyness without coming apart from the tofu or being too brittle.
Oh, yeah, I brushed the tofu alternatively with marinade and with melted vegan butter every 15 minutes or so before adding the yuba. It might have made a difference but I really think soaking the sheats is key. Good luck!
I made a video guide to making a vegan "tofurkey" from tofu. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKIrgls-WCw
Best Answer
There are a few recipes on the Vegan Dad blog for veggie chicken from scratch:
Chicken-flavored vegetarian broth is usually a key ingredient. You can find a lot of them on Amazon, and sometimes in health food stores. I usually use Edward and Son's Not Chick'n bouillon cubes, just because they sell them in a store on my block.
There's also a company called eco-cuisine that sells mixes, but I haven't tried them.
For other pre-made options May Wah in NYC supplies meat substitutes to a ton of vegan restaurants, and Gardein has some great veggie chick'n scallopini cutlets you can use for a lot of recipes.