- 2 cups gluten
- ¾ cup natural soy sauce
- ¾ cup sake or dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
- 1½ cups couscous
- 3 cups water
- ½ cup diced sweet red bell peppers
- ¼-½ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 pounds mushrooms, cut into thirds
- 3 medium onions, diced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Dash of wine vinegar
- 1 cup thick starch (from preparing homemade gluten)
- Natural soy sauce, to taste
- Sea salt, to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- In a medium bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients. Add the gluten and knead it well in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- To prepare the stuffing (which can be assembled up to one day before using), begin by soaking the couscous in the water until all the water has been absorbed (1-2 hours). Using hot water for soaking will reduce this time. Combine the remaining stuffing ingredients with the soaked couscous and mix together well.
- When you are ready to assemble the “roast,” preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9-x-5-inch metal loaf pan with foil. Coat the foil with cooking oil and set the pan aside.
- Remove the marinated gluten and reserve the marinade. Using a rolling pin, roll the gluten into an 18-inch square that is ¼-inch thick. Roll it quickly and firmly in all directions. (The gluten will tend to spring back to its original shape.) Quickly transfer the rolled gluten to the loaf pan. Hold one hand on top of the gluten to keep its shape, while loosely packing the stuffing into the loaf with the other hand.
- Stretch one side of the gluten over the top of the filling and tuck it in the opposite side. Baste the surface with some of the reserved marinade, then stretch the gluten from the other side up and over the top of the filled loaf.
- Using a sharp knife, make a few small cuts in the top of the gluten. Baste the top with plenty of marinade, then place in the oven. Bake, basting every 10-15 minutes, until the top is brown and crusty and it no longer feels sticky (about 1 hour).
- Remove the pan from the oven. After about 5 minutes, invert the loaf on a rack and remove the pan. Let the loaf cool for 20 minutes.
- While the roast is cooling, prepare the gravy. In a medium saucepan, heat the sesame oil and saute the mushrooms and onions until the onions are translucent. Add a dash of vinegar to bring out the flavor of the mushrooms and help them retain their color. Add enough water to cover ¾ of the mushrooms and bring to a slow boil. Add the starch and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly as the sauce thickens. Season to taste with soy sauce and salt. Just before serving, stir the parsley into the sauce.
- Carefully peel the foil from the cooled loaf and invert it right side up on a platter. Slice the roast and serve with Chunky Mushroom Gravy.