the cooked and the raw

I used to hate seitan, I thought it was too spongy. Now I love it, because I’ve improved my seitan cooking skills and I know how to prepare it. I’ve also learned to appreciate its sponginess. It’s precisely the sponginess that makes seitan special, as this gluten meat absorbs perfectly all the flavours and aromas of the ingredients it’s cooked with…

Ingredients (makes 4-6 servings):

1 white onion, finely chopped

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 carrots, sliced into rounds

1 small-sized celeriac, peeled and cut into cubes

½ medium-sized white cabbage, shredded

½ cup of warm water plus another ½ cup of warm water

1 teaspoon dried powdered lemongrass

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

½ teaspoon dried powdered ginger

2 tablespoons chopped chives, preferably fresh

300 g seitan, cut in small chunks

whole sea salt (to taste)

Heat the oil in a stew pan over medium heat. Add the onion, lemongrass and ginger and sauté until onion is soft and transparent. Add ½ cup of warm water and throw in the carrots. Cook for 5 minutes and stir in the celeriac. Cook for another 5 minutes then add the seitan chunks and the white cabbage. Add another ½ cup of warm water, a pinch of salt and cook over low heat for about 15-25 more minutes until vegetables are tenderish and all the liquid is absorbed. While the stew is cooking, you might need to add some more water a little bit at a time to avoid sticking to the pan. Add the chives, season with another tiny pinch of salt, stir and serve.