Ingredients
Dry
- 1.5 cup Vital wheat gluten (for the seitan)
- 0.25 cup Nutritional yeast (for the seitan)
- 1.25 cup All-purpose flour (1 cup for breading, 1/4 cup for gravy)
- 0.25 cup Cornstarch (for breading)
- 1 Tbsp Poultry seasoning (vegan) (split between seitan and breading)
- 1 Tbsp Garlic powder (split between seitan and breading)
- 1 Tbsp Onion powder (split between seitan and breading)
- 2 tsp Paprika (for breading)
- 2 tsp Salt (divided)
- 1 tsp Black pepper (divided)
Other
- 4 large Russet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
Wet
- 3 cup Vegetable broth (1 cup for seitan, 2 cups for gravy)
- 3 Tbsp Soy sauce (1 tbsp for seitan, 2 tbsp for gravy)
- 1.5 cup Unsweetened plant milk (e.g., soy or oat) (1 cup for buttermilk dredge, 0.5 cup for potatoes)
- 1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar (to curdle the plant milk for buttermilk)
- 6 Tbsp Vegan butter (4 tbsp for potatoes, 2 tbsp for gravy)
- 2 cup Neutral frying oil (e.g., canola or vegetable) (for shallow frying)
Method
- 1. Prepare the seitan: In a large bowl, whisk together the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, and half of the poultry seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir in 1 cup of vegetable broth and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce until a dough forms.
- 2. Knead the seitan dough for about 3-5 minutes until elastic. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then tear the dough into rough, chicken-like pieces.
- 3. Place the seitan pieces in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- 4. While seitan steams, make the potatoes: Boil the cubed potatoes in a large pot of salted water until fork-tender (about 15 minutes). Drain well and return to the pot.
- 5. Mash the potatoes with 4 tablespoons of vegan butter, 1/2 cup of plant milk, and salt and pepper to taste until smooth and creamy. Cover to keep warm.
- 6. Make the gravy: Melt 2 tablespoons of vegan butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 1/4 cup of flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in 2 cups of vegetable broth and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with black pepper and keep warm.
- 7. Prepare the breading station: In a shallow dish, mix 1 cup of plant milk with the apple cider vinegar to create vegan buttermilk. Let it sit for 2 minutes.
- 8. In a second shallow dish, whisk together 1 cup of flour, cornstarch, paprika, and the remaining poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- 9. Bread the seitan: Dip each steamed seitan piece into the buttermilk, then coat in the seasoned flour. For an extra crispy coating, dip back into the buttermilk and into the flour a second time.
- 10. Fry the seitan: Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, carefully add the breaded seitan pieces. Fry for about 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- 11. Serve the crispy vegan fried chicken hot alongside the mashed potatoes, generously smothered in gravy.
Chef's notes
For a meatier texture, you can prepare the seitan a day in advance and store it in the fridge overnight before breading and frying.