Though this recipe comes too late for Canadian thanksgiving, I'm pretty sure America hasn't had theirs yet, so this recipe is still relevant in the immediate future! I've always wanted to try making a version of the famous Tofurkey with my own stuffing recipe, and I'd say this one turned out great. The "meat" is made from seitan, tofu and a bit of chickpea flour along with oil and seasonings, and is both steamed and baked for a long time... but that's how it supposedly is with a real bird, too, so just set it cooking on the side while you're preparing other things. Other than that, it's surprisingly labour-unintensive, with the filling being the only thing that requires more than a pop into the blender/mixer/steamer/oven. Still, it's not difficult to make at all, and got raving reviews. Adding a little mushroomey oil like truffle or porcini is really good, and not all that expensive for the tiny amount you need to make a dish extra special with it. I'd highly recommend investing in even a small bottle!
I served this roast with the extra stuffing, cranberry sauce, a mushroom-brandy gravy and loads of side dishes. The mixture of textures and flavours you get from the stuffing, the meat, and the crisped-up outer layer makes it into a serious centrepiece for the dinner. My next steps are to adapt it to have an even more crispy beancurd skin like my previous sunday roast, to figure out how long it takes to cook a more densely meaty loaf (in proportion to the stuffing, I'd like there to be a bit more) and to refine my gravy recipe so I can post it as well!
Even if you're also Canadian and have already celebrated thanksgiving, or don't have thankgiving holiday at all, you should still try this roast. I promise you won't miss the bird.
Thanksgiving Tofu-Turkey Roast with Apple-Leek-Walnut Stuffing
For the "Turkey":
1 C. Vital wheat gluten
1/3 C. Besan/chickpea flour
200 g. Extra-firm or firm tofu
1 Tsp. Vegan Worcestershire sauce, optional
2 Tsp. Poultry seasoning, or a mixture of the following herbs to taste: sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, white pepper, a tiny bit of nutmeg
1/4 C. Oil
3 TBSP Nutritional yeast
1 TBSP Soya sauce
Salt, to taste
1 Tsp. Garlic powder
2 Tsp. Onion powder
1 Tsp. Fresh black pepper
Soya milk, unsweetened (about 1/2 C.)
1/2 C. Faux chicken or mushroom broth
To Baste:
about 1 C. Broth, same as used above
2 TBSP Olive or coconut oil
1 TBSP Soya sauce
Juice of one orange
To finish:
1 TBSP Oil
2 Tsp. Poultry seasoning
Blend the tofu, oil, soya sauce, worcestershire sauce (if using) and enough soya milk to make a very smooth paste in a blender or food processor. Add the broth and blend well.
Separately, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and knead well in a breadmaker or standmixer (or by hand, with some persistence), adding a little more soya milk if the mixture is too dry. Knead for 15 minutes (or more, by hand) until you get a very stringy, stretchy, flexible dough. Let rest for 10 minutes, then roll out and form a larger rectangle on an oiled surface.
Spread filling (you will use about half of the recipe) and tuck the ends of the seitan rectangle around it, pinching the "seams" to seal the filling in tightly: basically, treat it like a giant turnover or dumpling and encase the stuffing well.
Wrap up with a clean tea towel or cheesecloth and place in a steamer. Steam for about 90 minutes, then remove from cheesecloth and put into a large baking pan or dish.
Prepare a basting liquid by mixing well: this will keep your loaf moist throughout the lengthy baking process. Bake for about 2 hours at 230℃, basting with some of the liquid every 15-20 minutes, and covering the roast with aluminium foil for all but the first and last 15 minutes.
When the roast is almost done, brush with the oil and sprinkle with the poultry seasoning and bake uncovered for the last 15 minutes to give a nice, crispy brown top.
Serve with the leftover stuffing, cranberry sauce and/or gravy.
For the Stuffing:
1 Loaf stale white bread, in chunks of about 1-2''
1 TBSP. Olive oil
3 TBSP. Vegan butter
A little truffle or porcini oil, optional
2 Tart apples, e.g. Granny Smith, peeled and diced finely
3 Leek stems, halved, finely sliced and rinsed well to clean: white and light green parts only
(NOTE: don't throw out the darker green parts- use them to make vegetable soup stock!)
4 Ribs celery, finely chopped
1 Yellow onion, diced finely
4 Sage leaves, cut finely
Salt and pepper
Poultry seasoning to taste (about 2 Tsp.)
2 TBSP fresh minced parsley
1/4 C. Dried cranberries, optional
1/2 C. Walnut pieces
Some vegetable broth
Toss the bread pieces with the olive oil and a teaspoon of poultry seasoning.
In a 170℃ oven, toast the bread pieces for 10 minutes, or until a bit dry. Toast the walnuts for around 5 minutes, watching carefully so they don't burn.
In a large skillet, heat 1 TBSP of the vegan butter and add the apples, onion, and leeks. Cook on medium-high heat until the ingredients begin to become browned and caramelized, adding more fat as necessary.
When the leeks are cooked through, sprinkle with the salt, seasoning and herbs. Add the celery, sage and other herbs and let the celery soften. Add the cranberries (if using), and let cook covered for about 5 minutes. Add the walnuts, remaining butter and bread pieces and stir well to combine, adding vegetable broth to moisten as necessary. Finish with a drizzle of truffle or porcini oil.
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