Turtle Bay Style Vegan Motherclucker Burger

🥘 Ingredients

• vital wheat gluten 250 g
• nutritional yeast 25 g
• garlic powder 1 ½ tsp
• onion powder 1 tsp
• sweet paprika 1 tsp
• jerk seasoning 1 ½ tsp
• allspice ½ tsp
• dried thyme ½ tsp
• ground ginger ¼ tsp
• black pepper ¼ tsp
• salt ½ tsp
• cold vegetable stock 170 g
• light soy sauce 25 g
• neutral oil 15 g
• tahini 10 g
• liquid smoke ½ tsp
• unsweetened plant milk 100 ml
• lime juice 1 tbsp
• hot sauce 1 tbsp
• soy sauce 1 tbsp
• jerk seasoning 1 ½ tsp
• allspice ½ tsp
• garlic powder ½ tsp
• onion powder ½ tsp
• dried thyme ¼ tsp
• ground ginger ¼ tsp
• cayenne 0.06 tsp
• plain flour 120 g
• cornflour 60 g
• baking powder 1 tsp
• garlic powder 1 tsp
• onion powder 1 tsp
• sweet paprika 1 tsp
• jerk seasoning ½ tsp
• allspice ¼ tsp
• black pepper ½ tsp
• white pepper ½ tsp
• salt ½ tsp
• cayenne ¼ tsp
• unsweetened plant milk 120 ml
• hot sauce 1 tsp
• jerk marinade 1 tsp
• wet coating mixture 1 tbsp
• wet coating mixture 2 tbsp
• neutral frying oil
• salt 0.06 tsp
• vegan mayonnaise 120 g
• jerk seasoning 1 ½ tsp
• lime juice 1 tsp
• maple syrup 1 tsp
• light soy sauce ½ tsp
• allspice ¼ tsp
• garlic powder ¼ tsp
• cayenne 0.06 tsp
• hot sauce ½ tsp
• vegan mayonnaise
• maple syrup
• vegan BBQ sauce 100 g
• jerk seasoning 1 tsp
• lime juice ½ tsp
• brown sugar ½ tsp
• allspice ¼ tsp
• cayenne 0.06 tsp
• ripe avocados 2
• lime juice 15 ml
• salt ¼ tsp
• red onion 1
• white vinegar 60 ml
• water 60 ml
• sugar 1 tbsp
• salt ½ tsp
• wild rocket 60 g
• soft brioche-style vegan buns 4
• vegan butter
• jerk mayo 1 tbsp
• wild rocket
• crispy seitan chicken piece
• smashed avocado 2 tbsp
• pink onions 1 tbsp
• pink onions 2 tbsp
• jerk BBQ sauce 1 tbsp
• jerk mayo ½ tbsp
• skin-on fries
• salt
• cornflour
• jerk mayo
• BBQ sauce
• seitan
• wild rocket
• pink onions

1. 1

   Mix vital wheat gluten , nutritional yeast , garlic powder , onion powder , sweet paprika , jerk seasoning , allspice , dried thyme , ground ginger , black pepper and salt thoroughly.
2. 2

   Whisk together cold vegetable stock , light soy sauce , neutral oil , tahini and liquid smoke
3. 3

   Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms.
4. 4

   Knead for 2 minutes to 3 minutes only. You want the gluten developed enough to hold together, but don't turn it into an extremely dense rubbery seitan.
5. 5

   Rest for 10 minutes .
6. 6

   Pull the dough apart into irregular strips rather than simply forming four patties. Take a handful of strips and lay them roughly parallel, then compress them together into a flattened piece. Don't completely homogenise it; you want visible layers and strands. Make four pieces roughly the size of your burger buns.
7. 7

   Wrap each piece loosely in baking parchment and then foil , forming a flattened chicken-filleted shape.
8. 8

   Steam in a steamer for 30 minutes .
9. 9

   Remove and allow to cool completely.
10. 10

    Refrigerate for at least 1 hour , preferably overnight. Chilling the steamed seitan makes it considerably easier to bread without it falling apart.
11. 11

    Whisk together unsweetened plant milk , lime juice , hot sauce , soy sauce , jerk seasoning , allspice , garlic powder , onion powder , dried thyme , ground ginger and cayenne .
12. 12

    Place the chilled seitan pieces in the marinade and leave for 20 minutes to 30 minutes . Don't leave them overnight; they'll absorb too much liquid and become harder to bread.
13. 13

    Mix plain flour , cornflour , baking powder , garlic powder , onion powder , sweet paprika , jerk seasoning , allspice , black pepper , white pepper , salt and cayenne in a wide bowl.
14. 14

    In another bowl, mix unsweetened plant milk , hot sauce and jerk marinade .
15. 15

    Take a marinated seitan piece and dredge it dry, then wet, then dry.
16. 16

    On the second dry coating, really press the flour mixture into the surface. This creates the craggy pieces of batter that give you a proper fried-chicken exterior.
17. 17

    For an even more aggressive crust, flick wet coating mixture to wet coating mixture into the dry flour and rub it through with your fingers before coating. This creates little clumps of seasoned flour which become crispy nuggets on the outside.
18. 18

    Heat neutral frying oil in a frying pan to 170–175°C.
19. 19

    Fry the seitan pieces individually for 3 minutes to 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Look for a deep golden-brown crust, a very crisp exterior and a hot centre.
20. 20

    Transfer the fried pieces to a wire rack rather than kitchen paper.
21. 21

    Season immediately with salt .
22. 22

    Don't put the fried pieces directly onto a plate; the steam trapped underneath will soften the crust. A wire rack keeps the bottom crisp.
23. 23

    Mix vegan mayonnaise , jerk seasoning , lime juice , maple syrup , light soy sauce , allspice , garlic powder , cayenne and hot sauce .
24. 24

    Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
25. 25

    Taste before assembling. You want creaminess, gentle jerk spice, slight sweetness and lime.
26. 26

    If it tastes too spicy, add more vegan mayonnaise and a tiny amount of maple syrup .
27. 27

    Mix vegan BBQ sauce , jerk seasoning , lime juice , brown sugar , allspice and cayenne in a small saucepan .
28. 28

    Warm gently for 2 minutes , stirring until completely combined.
29. 29

    Taste and adjust. You want a sweet, smoky BBQ flavour with a subtle Jamaican spice character rather than a strongly jerk-flavoured sauce.
30. 30

    Allow to cool before serving.
31. 31

    Mash ripe avocados roughly with lime juice and salt . Don't blend it; you want small pieces of avocado remaining so it feels substantial in the burger.
32. 32

    Thinly slice red onion .
33. 33

    Mix white vinegar , water , sugar and salt , then pour over the sliced onion.
34. 34

    Leave for at least 30 minutes , preferably 1 hour .
35. 35

    Drain thoroughly before putting the onions in the burger.
36. 36

    Wash and thoroughly dry wild rocket .
37. 37

    Keep refrigerated until assembly.
38. 38

    Use soft brioche-style vegan buns .
39. 39

    Toast the cut sides in a frying pan with a tiny amount of vegan butter . You want them golden on the inside and soft everywhere else. Don't toast them until crunchy; the bun needs to compress around the fried seitan.
40. 40

    Spread jerk mayo over each bottom bun.
41. 41

    Add a small handful of wild rocket .
42. 42

    Place one crispy seitan chicken piece on top.
43. 43

    Add smashed avocado .
44. 44

    Add pink onions to pink onions .
45. 45

    Drizzle jerk BBQ sauce over the fried seitan.
46. 46

    Finish with jerk mayo and place the top bun over the burger.
47. 47

    Give the top bun a gentle press. Don't squash it flat.
48. 48

    Serve immediately.
49. 49

    For the best texture, assemble the burger immediately after frying the seitan. The contrast between the hot crispy coating, cool avocado, creamy jerk mayo, peppery rocket, sharp pink onions and sweet BBQ sauce is central to the burger.
50. 50

    Serve with skin-on fries tossed with salt immediately after frying.
51. 51

    On day 1, make and steam the seitan, then chill overnight. Make the jerk mayo, jerk BBQ sauce and pink onions.
52. 52

    On day 2, marinate the seitan, bread to order, fry, toast the bun, smash the avocado, dress the rocket and assemble.
53. 53

    The seitan, sauces and onions can all be prepared ahead, meaning the actual burger takes only 5 minutes to 7 minutes to finish.
54. 54

    Don't compromise on cornflour in the coating; it gives you that brittle crunch.
55. 55

    Don't compromise on the jerk mayo and BBQ sauce combination; Turtle Bay's own description identifies both as components of the Motherclucker.
56. 56

    Season the seitan itself with Jamaican/jerk spices; Turtle Bay describes the patty as a chicken-style vegan patty "in Jamaican spices".
57. 57

    Use wild rocket rather than ordinary lettuce for the peppery flavour.
58. 58

    Use pink onions rather than cucumber pickles for the sharp, acidic element.
59. 59

    Don't compromise on chilled, fibrous seitan; don't fry freshly steamed seitan because the texture won't be nearly as convincing.