Sweet, Sour and Smokey Linguiça

Linguiça is a Portuguese sausage served on festive occasions. This vegan version uses port wine and red wine vinegar to give it a distinctive flavour. There are a number of vegan friendly ports out there. Check them out at: http://www.barnivore.com/. I make my own vegan red wine vinegar and I’ll explain my simple process soon.

Anyhow here’s the recipe. Enjoy.

Basic Sausage Recipe
1 ¼ cup vital wheat gluten
¼ cup nutritional yeast
½ cup white beans (navy, cannellini) mashed or blended
2 oz port wine
1 cup of vegetable stock
2 tbsp olive oil
1 ½ tsp red wine vinegar

Sausage Seasoning
2 tsp granulated garlic
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp fine sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp sugar

Mix together the wet and dry ingredients separately. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix together with your hands. The dough will come together quickly into a sticky ball. The dough should be wet but not stick to the bowl. Knead to ensure that the gluten is well developed.

Form a single ball and cut into 6 equal pieces. Tear 6 pieces of tin foil about 8 inches long. Using your hands form each piece into a sausage shape about 1 ¼ inches wide by 5 inches long. Place the roughly formed sausage on the tin foil near a corner and roll it tightly folding in the sides as you roll to form a closed cylinder.

Place the wrapped sausages in a boiling steamer. Steam for 40 minutes at a medium heat. Once done, unwrap and seal in small freezer bags to retain freshness. These freeze very well.

Smoking Sausages
Smoke this sausage lightly for 40 minutes at 190F.

Steaming
I use a Japanese ceramic steamer that goes directly on my stovetop. This works the best for me. You can use any steamer. Just ensure is has a good seal and single vent.