I'll be making tofurkey for the first time this thanksgiving

[Cassie]

So, I was thinking about thanksgiving this year, and at first I was considering buying a tofurkey roast. Then I thought, why not make one instead? I love to cook, especially new and creative dishes, so this sounds perfect. I found a recipe online that sounds perfect. (I do not remember the url, delete if this is not allowed to post).

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
5 blocks extra firm tofu, pressed and drained
2 tbsp. sage
2 tbsp. poultry seasoning
1 tbsp. each of thyme, rosemary, and vegetable broth powder (I actually have my own broth powder that I made, that I use in place of chicken stock. It tastes almost identical to chicken! I know this is supposed to be turkey not chicken, but I figured it would still be a good substitute.)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup red wine
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. soy sauce

Directions:
Process tofu in food processor til smooth and creamy. Put in mixing bowl with the sage, thyme, rosemary, broth powder, and poultry seasoning. Mix well. Line a colander with cheesecloth or towel. Place tofu in colander, with another layer of cheesecloth on top. Place on a plate with a weight on top. Chill for three hours. Scoop out a hole for stuffing, then press tofu back over the hole. Invert into baking sheet. Mix remaining ingredients in bowl. Bake tofurkey for 90 minutes at 350 degrees, basting with remaining mixture every 15 minutes.



Let me know what you guys think! Any advice for making this better? What kind of wine would be best for basting? Anything else I should try? Also, what kind of stuffing do you think would work for this?

Any advice would be great!!

 

[silva]

I've done that, and while it was good, I mean tofu and stuffing, but I'd rather make a stuffed seitan roast!
Tofu is too close to the stuffing texturally, and it's a lot to go through pressing that much tofu! I save that for something like quiche.

I've never cooked with wine! I bought a bottle of sharvez (something like that), tasted it, and gave it away. I'm not a wine drinker so I'm not sure if cooking with it would be different? Do you need to like wine to like it in food?

 

[Cassie]

I've done that, and while it was good, I mean tofu and stuffing, but I'd rather make a stuffed seitan roast!
Tofu is too close to the stuffing texturally, and it's a lot to go through pressing that much tofu! I save that for something like quiche.

I've never cooked with wine! I bought a bottle of sharvez (something like that), tasted it, and gave it away. I'm not a wine drinker so I'm not sure if cooking with it would be different? Do you need to like wine to like it in food?

What exactly is seitan? I've seen it before, but not sure what it is.
As for wine, it does taste different cooked in food. Since it is acidic, something about the acid in it works as a tenderizer and brings out the natural flavors....in meat. I used to cook with it all the time. not sure if it works the same with vegetarian dishes.

 

[Cassie]

What exactly is seitan? I've seen it before, but not sure what it is.
As for wine, it does taste different cooked in food. Since it is acidic, something about the acid in it works as a tenderizer and brings out the natural flavors....in meat. I used to cook with it all the time. not sure if it works the same with vegetarian dishes.

I was planning on using extra firm tofu...do you think that would make it a better texture?

 

[Andy_T]

Seitan is wheat gluten, and it is the substance that is typically used for commercially available veggie roasts and sausages.
It's also what most tofurky products contain (in addition to tofu).
It has the perfect texture for large "chunks" of vegetable protein.

 

[Dedalus]

Hi Cassie! The method / recipe you posted is great - highly recommended. My wife and I have made tofurky's for Thanksgiving every year since we went vegan in 2008 and with some modifications, this is basically what we do as well. I think we have it mastered, (from our tastes/perspective.) Here are my suggestions:


5 blocks of tofu - use 3 blocks regular and 2 blocks firm. This helps with the consistency, as you do not want it too mushy or too firm. (Either way, you
risk it falling apart during the cooking process.)
We press ours in the colander (with weights on top) overnight in a chilled environment. Ideally, you want it packed together pretty tight so you can stuff it and cook it without it falling to pieces.

5 blocks of tofu needs a LOT of seasoning, so I would use all those same spices but up the quantity quite a bit. I couldn't tell you what exact measurements we use, but way more than what is listed above. The great thing about tofu is that you can taste the mixture as you go along. In addition to those spices - we add sea-salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and fresh ground pepper.

We've tried various basting concoctions - the one you list is probably the best - we add some rosemary to that as well.

I have baked the tofurky on a cooking sheet and in an oven safe ceramic pie pan/dish - (which is just slightly larger than the circumference of the tofurky.) I find that the latter holds the 'bird' together much better. As well - we cook on a lower temp (295-300 degrees) for a little longer. You'll know when to take it out. 350 degrees tends to cook the outside very fast and you risk it getting tough. We found that the tofurky was more prone to cracking and splitting up altogether when we cooked on a sheet, but regardless - it still tastes good.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Mischief]

I'm not a wine drinker so I'm not sure if cooking with it would be different? Do you need to like wine to like it in food?

Unless you're making a really wine-heavy sauce, you won't taste the wine, and even then, it doesn't taste at all like it does when drinking it.

Wine does much the same as adding lemon juice - it adds a high note to the flavor, but without as the sourness of lemon juice.

I keep a bottle of dry vermouth around for cooking, for use when I don't want to open a bottle of wine. It subs quite well for wine in most dishes, and doesn't go off even when open for a longish time.

I find I add a splash of wine, or lemon or orange juice, or vermouth, or a mild vinegar, to many, many dishes.

 

[Cassie]

Hi Cassie! The method / recipe you posted is great - highly recommended. My wife and I have made tofurky's for Thanksgiving every year since we went vegan in 2008 and with some modifications, this is basically what we do as well. I think we have it mastered, (from our tastes/perspective.) Here are my suggestions:


5 blocks of tofu - use 3 blocks regular and 2 blocks firm. This helps with the consistency, as you do not want it too mushy or too firm. (Either way, you
risk it falling apart during the cooking process.)
We press ours in the colander (with weights on top) overnight in a chilled environment. Ideally, you want it packed together pretty tight so you can stuff it and cook it without it falling to pieces.

5 blocks of tofu needs a LOT of seasoning, so I would use all those same spices but up the quantity quite a bit. I couldn't tell you what exact measurements we use, but way more than what is listed above. The great thing about tofu is that you can taste the mixture as you go along. In addition to those spices - we add sea-salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and fresh ground pepper.

We've tried various basting concoctions - the one you list is probably the best - we add some rosemary to that as well.

I have baked the tofurky on a cooking sheet and in an oven safe ceramic pie pan/dish - (which is just slightly larger than the circumference of the tofurky.) I find that the latter holds the 'bird' together much better. As well - we cook on a lower temp (295-300 degrees) for a little longer. You'll know when to take it out. 350 degrees tends to cook the outside very fast and you risk it getting tough. We found that the tofurky was more prone to cracking and splitting up altogether when we cooked on a sheet, but regardless - it still tastes good.

Best of luck to you!

I wrote these down, thank you!