Vegan ham

This glazed seitan ‘ham’ is a perfectly festive meat alternative which will hold its own as a Christmas dinner centrepiece. Leftovers make fantastic ‘ham’ and mustard sandwiches for Boxing Day.

Ingredients

SEITAN HAM
400g vital wheat gluten, (see cook’s notes)
2 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
300g cooked, peeled beetroot
190g silken tofu
4 tbsp white or brown miso paste
3 tbsp Marmite
50ml vegetable oil
3 tbsp liquid smoke
1 tsp fine sea salt
200ml vegetable stock
sea salt flakes

SEITAN MARBLING
120g vital wheat gluten
1 tbsp white miso paste
115g tin cannellini beans, drained
2 tbsp vegetable oil
155g silken tofu
100ml plant milk
½ tsp fine sea salt

BROWN SUGAR GLAZE
150g soft light brown sugar
60g maple or agave syrup
½ tsp mustard powder
60ml apple cider vinegar
ground to make ½ tsp black peppercorns
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground allspice

Method
STEP 1
To make the seitan ham, put the vital wheat gluten, and onion and garlic powders in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.

STEP 2
Blend the remaining seitan ham ingredients in a high-speed blender until very smooth, then pour over the gluten. Knead on a medium speed for 5-8 minutes or until a dough forms. Remove, wrap tightly and set aside.

STEP 3
To make the seitan marbling, clean the stand mixer bowl and blender. Put the vital wheat gluten in the bowl of the stand mixer, and the remaining ingredients in the blender. Blend until smooth, then pour over the gluten. Knead the mixture using the dough hook on a medium speed for 5-8 minutes or until it forms a dough.

STEP 4
Divide the seitan ham dough into three roughly even pieces.

STEP 5
Divide the seitan marbling into two pieces. Slice one of the halves in half again so you have a total of three marbling pieces. Put one of the smaller pieces of marbling dough on a clean work surface. Roll it out as thin as you can. If the dough keeps springing back, cover and leave it to relax for 10 minutes – the dough should then be much more malleable.

STEP 6
Once rolled out thinly, put one of the pieces of seitan ham onto the rolled out marbling. Wrap the marbling over the ham and pinch together to seal. Set aside.

STEP 7
Repeat the process with the other small piece of marbling and one piece of the seitan ham dough. Set aside.

STEP 8
Roughly form the three pieces of dough (two wrapped in marbling and one unwrapped) together into a cylinder or
‘roast meat’ shape. Set aside.

STEP 9
Roll out the large piece of marbling and put the three pieces of dough into the centre. Wrap the marbling completely around the dough and pinch the bottom to seal.

STEP 10
Wrap the seitan ham tightly with baking paper, followed by heat-safe clingfilm or muslin, tied with chef’s string.

STEP 11
Put a steamer basket in a large pan of water and place the seitan ham into the basket. Cover with a lid and steam for 3 hours, topping up water, being careful not to let the pan dry out.

STEP 12
Carefully remove the ham from the pan and heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Unwrap the ham and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Carefully score diamond shapes into its surface using a sharp knife.

STEP 13
Put all the brown sugar glaze ingredients in a small pan with a pinch of sea salt and warm over a low heat. Simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat.

STEP 14
Put the scored seitan in a roasting tray and baste all over (top and bottom) with half the glaze. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes. Roast for 40 minutes, adding more glaze across the entire surface every 10 minutes. The edges should be crisp and gently browned. If the seitan browns too quickly, cover it with foil to prevent it burning.

STEP 15
Remove from the oven, baste one final time and allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving – this will make it easier to slice.