Seitan Parmesan

Photo: flickr user norwichnuts

Ingredients

6 slcs Seitan, each ¼-inch thick

3 tablespoons Gluten flour

cup Whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon Sea salt

1 tablespoon Basil, chopped

1 tablespoon Oregano, chopped

teaspoon White pepper

cup Olive oil

2 cups Tomato sauce

Vegan Cheese, see recipe

1 cup Whole wheat pastry flour

cup Gluten flour

teaspoon Salt

cup Water

cup Beer

Preparation

In this recipe, the thickness of the seitan "cutlets" is important. If your seitan loaf is too small to yield six slices of about 4 ounces each, you may have to divide the slices into smaller pieces; just make sure that each slice is about 1/4-inch thick. Drain the seitan but leave it slightly moist.

Put the gluten flour in a large bowl so it can be used to dredge the seitan. In another large bowl, mix the pastry flour, salt, basil, oregano, and pepper. In a third bowl, have a little water available, if needed.

Dredge the pieces of seitan in the gluten flour and, if the seitan is sticky-moist, dip it directly into the seasoned flour mixture and coat thoroughly. If the seitan is too dry after being dipped into the gluten, give it a quick flash dip into the bowl of water and then into the seasoned flour. Lay the dredged seitan on a piece of floured plastic wrap. Set aside until you are ready to fry the seitan.

To fry the seitan, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the seitan and saute both sides until brown. Remove and drain on paper towels for a few minutes. Then place the cutlets on a baking sheet and top with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce and 2 tablespoons cheese. If all of the ingredients are warm, the baking time will be substantially shorter. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 10 to 20 minutes. Serve hot, straight from the oven, with a pasta of your choice and vegetables

VARIATIONS: You can also make this recipe using batter-dipped seitan. Mix the flours and salt together. Add the water and the beer, and mix until the batter is smooth. If necessary, add more beer to thin out the batter to the consistency of heavy cream. Follow the directions for making Seitan Parmesan up to and including dredging the seitan with gluten flour. Dip the floured seitan cutlets into the batter and then immediately into the hot oil. Brown on both sides and serve as suggested above.