Stuffed “No Turkey” Wrapped in Gaz’s Streaky Bacon

1. First up, you will need to make the seitan “turkey”: combine all the wet ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Mix the vital wheat gluten, chickpea flour and nutritional yeast together in a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer (with the dough hook attached), then add the wet ingredients and mix until it forms a dough.
3. Tip the dough onto a clean work surface and knead for at least 10 minutes by hand or do this in your mixer on medium speed. This is the most important part of the recipe – if you don’t knead it properly you will be left with horrible spongy seitan. Be very firm!
4. Once kneaded, the dough should be quite firm and elastic. Use a rolling pin to bash and roll the dough into a rough rectangle around 1.25cm (1/2in) thick. Set the dough aside to rest for 10 minutes.
5. Add the broth ingredients to a large roasting tray, around 40 x 28 x 8cm (16 x 11 x 3in). Cut a piece of muslin (cheesecloth) slightly larger than the seitan dough rectangle.
6. Mix the rub ingredients together in a small bowl, then sprinkle it over the dough. Cover the seitan well in the spice mix as this stops it sticking. Place the dough spice-side down onto the muslin.
7. Spoon the stuffing across the middle of the dough and roll it up around the stuffing, moulding the edges together. Wrap the dough in the muslin as tightly as possible. Twist the ends, then tie them tightly with cook’s string. Make sure your dough is a nice cylindrical shape.
8. Place the “No-Turkey” wrap into the roasting tray with the broth ingredients then cover the tray with foil. Place the tray into the oven for 2 hours. Turn the seitan over halfway through cooking and add additional stock if needed. Once cooked, use a slotted spoon to lift the “turkey” out of the broth and, when cool enough to handle, carefully remove the muslin. The “turkey” can now be wrapped in clingfilm and placed into the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.
9. Reserve the broth liquid as it makes a great gravy. An hour before you want to serve, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). I like to wrap the “turkey” in my “bacon” but you can bake it without if you prefer. Place the “turkey” into a baking tray, spoon over a couple of tablespoons of cranberry sauce to help the “bacon“ stick, then neatly lay over the rashers. Secure it with string, if necessary. Brush with the maple syrup to glaze. Bake for 25 minutes, then slice and serve with all the trimmings!

SWEET POTATO & CHESTNUT STUFFING

1. First, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and then line a medium-sized baking dish with greaseproof paper.
2. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leek, garlic, herbs, cinnamon and cooked sweet potato and sauté until the leek has softened and the potato has browned. Add all the remaining ingredients and toss until well combined.
3. Turn the heat off and, using an old-fashioned potato masher, lightly mash the mix. Break down any large chunks of sweet potato and the chickpeas/butterbeans.
4. Spoon the mixture into the lined baking dish and press it in to compact the mixture.
5. Place the dish onto a baking tray and slide it into the oven to bake for 35–40 minutes.
6. Once it’s cooked, allow the stuffing to cool before taking it out of the dish and peeling off the paper.

CRANBERRY & ORANGE SAUCE

1. To sterilize your jars, place them in a large saucepan filled with cold water, place over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes then turn off the heat.
2. Carefully remove the jars from the water when you’re ready to fill them.
3. Heat all the ingredients in a heavybased saucepan over a low heat with the lid on. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often.
4. Remove the jars from the hot water, spoon the sauce into the hot jars and seal.
5. The sauce will keep for 4 weeks in the fridge.

“BACON”

1. Place all the wet ingredients for the “bacon” into a food processor and blitz together.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients for the “bacon” in a large mixing bowl, add the blitzed wet ingredients and mix together to form a dough, then tip the dough out on to a clean work surface.
3. Knead well for 12 minutes, either by hand or in an electric stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. It’s really important that you knead the dough properly – if you don’t your finished “bacon” will be soft and spongy.
4. After 12 minutes of kneading, set the dough aside to rest at room temperature.
5. Blitz together all the wet ingredients for the “streak”.
6. Combine all the dry ingredients for the “streak” in a large clean mixing bowl, add the blitzed wet ingredients and mix together to form a dough, then tip it out on to a clean work surface.
7. Knead by hand, or use a stand mixer, for 4–6 minutes.
8. Roll and bash the “bacon” dough using a rolling pin until it’s approximately A4-paper-sized. Do the same with the “streak” dough, then lay the streak dough on top of the “bacon” dough and cut the doughs in half.
9. Place one half on top of the other and roll/bash the doughs together until you have a rectangle about 4cm (11/2in) thick.
10. Generously sprinkle sea salt over the dough rectangle and set aside.
11. Set a large saucepan of water over a medium heat to simmer.
12. Wrap the dough tightly in greaseproof paper and then in cling film (plastic wrap). Make sure it is well sealed, then lower the wrapped dough into the water to simmer for 2 hours, flipping over half way through cooking.
13. After 2 hours remove the “bacon” from the water and leave until cool enough to handle. Unwrap the “bacon”, transfer to a plate and put it in the fridge to cool completely (about 4 hours).
14. Once chilled, slice the “bacon” to the thickness of your choice.
15. You can eat it cold or pan fry, grill or bake it until golden and crisp.
16. It keeps in the fridge for around a week and can also be frozen for up to 3 months.