Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <vegetarian><vegan><substitutions>
Title: How can I create a chicken substitute?
Question: How can I create a homemade product with that has the texture, flavor, and cooking properties of chicken, but is vegetarian (or vegan)?  I'm inspired by the Lightlife, the  Sipz  orange "chicken", and  Veggie Grill  "burgers" but am looking for something more flexible that I can make myself.   I'm not looking for a specific recipe, but rather general techniques and ingredients to use as a starting point.

Answers:
sents: text: Seitan (aka.
text: wheat gluten/vital wheat gluten/wheat meat/fu*) can be used to make chik'n nugget type chicken, but not as in breast or thigh, etc.
text: Recipes abound on the internets.
text: The gist of using it involves bringing together compositional ingredients (basically the gluten) and flavoring, mixing to develop it into a rubbery mass, forming it into and using as a dough (i.e. making chik'n nugget cutouts).
text: *
text: There are differences between these, but they are all basically the same beast.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/15/mfg
score: 6
sents: text: There are a few recipes on the Vegan Dad blog for veggie chicken from scratch: Chick'n Burgers (but read the comments also) Chick'n Nuggets
text: Chicken-flavored vegetarian broth is usually a key ingredient.
text: You can find a lot of them on Amazon, and sometimes in health food stores.
text: I usually use Edward and Son's Not Chick'n bouillon cubes, just because they sell them in a store on my block.
text: There's also a company called eco-cuisine that sells mixes, but I haven't tried them.
text: For other pre-made options May Wah in NYC supplies meat substitutes to a ton of vegan restaurants, and Gardein has some great veggie chick'n scallopini cutlets you can use for a lot of recipes.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/5776/paul
score: 6
sents: text: You could try Chinese dry tofu (Dòu gān) as a starting point.
text: It is nutritionally good and has a 'meatlike' texture. http://www.thetofuboutique.com/?p=454&page=4
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/3688/5arx
score: 2
sents: text: For stewing, I love Green Jackfruit -canned or frozen.
text: Fooled me entirely in a Malaysian curry.
text: Needs long gentle simmering in flavorful broth/sauce.
text: Flakes fleshily when forked.
text: Beancurd sticks are those shrivelled yellow plastic batons in cellaphane packs that cook up first rubbery then slowly disintegrating to desired tenderness.
text: Forgot it once in a hotpot for 2 hrs and it was chicken soup!
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/6638/Pat Sommer
score: 1
sents: text: I know someone had already mentioned Chick'n nuggets, but you could also try the Quorn brand "chicken" items.
text: They have a very similar texture to chicken.
text: But if you are looking for a veggie burger, then i found this great recipe for Black Bean cakes.
text: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spicy-black-bean-cakes/detail.aspx
text: and they are pretty easy and delicious too!
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/5666/TheDoctorplus1
score: 1
sents: text: For 'chicken' strips I often use tofu that has been pressed for a really long time
text: so it has less of a squishy texture, then roll it in flour paprika and salt and flash fry it until it's golden brown and crispy on the outside.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/35365/queenslug
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
You can use seitan, preessed or dry tofu, Chick'n or Quorn brand products or try the recipes on the Vegan Dad blog. Alternatively, you can make veggie burgers using ingredients like black beans.
Try Seitan, tofu or Black Bean cakes.