[Vegan Braised Sweetbreads]
...ok...this is something I had absolutely no idea about...so...I searched the interwebs...of course...and I found out that sweetbreads are considered 'offal'...which sounds bad enough...and also...
"
It is hard to describe the taste accurately, but sweetbreads are very soft and tender with a slightly spongy texture. They have a meaty-but-mild and slightly creamy taste."
...so...I set out to make a soft and tender mild and creamy textured seitan as a substitute...
...I smashed up some tofu...to add the "spongy" texture...
...and added some vital wheat gluten...and a little bit of veggie broth powder and a little bit of vegan chicken broth powder...that should be mild enough for flavoring...
...and mixed it all up with some cashew cream for creaminess...
...and then Julia gives directions for
Blanching Vegan Sweetbreads...which I did not do...but basically you just cook them in salted water with some lemon juice for 15 minutes or so...and if you used more VWG in your mix you might want to do this to precook it a bit before sauteeing...
...Julia says to slice into half inch thick slices...so I just shaped my seitan that way...and sautéed it in some Earth Balance...
...getting it golden brown...
....before adding it to the braising liquid...which is parsley, bay leaf, thyme, carrots, celery and onion...
...add the vegan sweetbreads...and cook for 5 minutes...remove to a cassserole...
...add some white wine to the braising liquid...and boil down rapidly to about 1/2 cup of liquid...then pour that over the casserole and bake for 45 minutes...
...we served our vegan sweetbreads with rice and peas...
...it makes a pretty presentation...
...it was nice...
Substitutions
Seitan for the sweetbreads
Recipe here:
Mastering the Art of French Cooking pp. 409-411
