3rice paper sheets optional, but suggest you don't skip!
Instructions
Make the wheat meat drumsticks:
Add all the ingredients for the vegan drumsticks except the vital wheat gluten to a food processor (drained chickpeas, broth, olive oil, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, and miso paste) and process until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, making sure to scrape all the good bits off the processor bowl. Add the vital wheat gluten to the bowl and mix it up with a silicone spatula to start and your hands to finish.
Once it has come together in a coarse ball, sprinkle some vital wheat gluten on a clean countertop. Knead the dough (at least 10-12 times).
Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape your drumsticks into a pear shape. Pierce each piece with a skewer.
Steam the drumsticks:
To a large Dutch oven or pot and a steamer basket, add at least 3 cups of hot water into the bottom of the pot, bring to a boil and lower the heat to steam for at least one hour. Wrap the drumsticks in foil paper tightly and place them on the steamer basket. *See notes for tips when steaming.
Making basting liquid:
While the wheat meat pieces are steaming, make basting liquid (aka compound butter) by mixing the ingredients in a bowl (vegan butter, soy sauce, minced garlic, better than chicken vegan bouillon, oregano, and black pepper).
Make crispy rice paper skin:
Soak rice paper in water for 30 seconds and allow it to dry completely. Once the turkey is steamed, brush each individual component with the basting liquid. Then, wrap the rice paper around the components. It’s okay if there are crinkles or air bubbles, you just want to get it covered as much as possible.
Then, brush the top of the rice paper with more basting liquid.
Brown the drumsticks:
While the drumsticks are steaming, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Place the steamed pieces in a baking dish and pour basting liquid over them. Bake for 20 minutes.
Spoon the basting liquid over the pieces every 5 minutes to avoid it drying out on the inside.
Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce!
Notes
Steaming: Vital wheat gluten can be touch-and-go. I recommend checking in on the steaming process after an hour to make sure it's cooked. It can take up to 30 minutes more depending on the size of the seitan. Given that these are drumsticks, based on the tests I've run, they 're typically ready in about an hour, or an hour and fifteen minutes!
Make ahead: You can make the wheat meat and let it steam for an hour. Then, cool and refrigerate in an airtight container. Then, when ready to serve, remove from the fridge, wrap in foil, and roast in oven at 350°F for 30 minutes to warm. Then follow the rest of the instructions for basting and browning!