Name: Shiitake seitan burger with kimchi mayo
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: Makes 5 burgers
Ingredients: 5 tbsp vegan mayonnaise, see recipe in the link above; 3 tbsp vegan kimchi; 1 spring onion, finely chopped; 50g dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated in boiling water for 30 minutes, then drained really well (reserve the water); 1 small red onion, roughly chopped; 1 large clove garlic; 2 tsp dark soy sauce; 1 tsp Marmite; 2 tsp brown rice miso paste; 50g cooked beetroot; 7 tbsp shiitake soaking water (see above); 50g vital wheat gluten, see notes below; 50g gram flour; ½ tsp smoked paprika; ¼ tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp dried tarragon; 1 tsp sea salt; 5 vegan burger buns, halved and toasted; 5 lettuce leaves; 5 tomato slices; 5 vegan cheese slices

KIMCHI MAYO

5 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
see recipe in the link above
3 tbsp vegan kimchi
1 spring onion
finely chopped

BURGERS

50g dried shiitake mushrooms
rehydrated in boiling water for 30 minutes, then drained really well (reserve the water)
1 small red onion
roughly chopped
1 large clove garlic
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp Marmite
2 tsp brown rice miso paste
50g cooked beetroot
7 tbsp shiitake soaking water (see above)
50g vital wheat gluten
see notes below
50g gram flour
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp sea salt

TO SERVE

5 vegan burger buns
halved and toasted
5 lettuce leaves
5 tomato slices
5 vegan cheese slices

Method

step 1
Put the mayo and kimchi in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Stir in the chopped spring onion.
step 2
To make the burgers, put the mushrooms, onion, garlic, soy, Marmite, miso, beetroot and shiitake soaking water into a food processor and pulse until the consistency of a very chunky tapenade.
step 3
In a large bowl, measure out the remaining burger ingredients. Add the mushroom mixture to the dry ingredients and combine together until it forms a very loose dough. Knead and turn in the bowl for 5 minutes. The dough should remain pretty wet.
step 4
Half fill a medium pan with just-boiled water and put a bamboo steamer on top. Alternatively, use an electric steamer. Divide the dough into 5 equal balls and then flatten them into patties. Doing your best to keep their disc shapes, wrap each patty in a layer of baking paper and then a layer of foil. Put in the steamer and cook for 1 hour.
step 5
Once steamed, rub with a little oil and put on a BBQ over white-hot coals or in a hot griddle pan. Flip after a few minutes, then serve in a toasted bun with a good dollop of kimchi mayo, the lettuce, tomato and a slice of vegan cheese.