FOR THE PARTY POPPERS
3 oz - vital wheat gluten
2 tbsp - nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp - onion powder
1/2 tsp - garlic powder
1/4 tsp - ground sage
1/4 tsp - ground thyme
1/2 tsp - sea salt- plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 tsp - black pepper
1/2 tsp - ground cumin
1/2 cup - vegetable stock
1 1/2 tbsp - olive oil
1/2 tsp - apple cider vinegar
1/2 to 3/4 cup - cilantro leaves
1/2 tbsp - chili flakes
1/4 cup - BBQ sauce- store-bought or see below- you could also use store-bought teriyaki sauce- for serving
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
FOR THE BUTTERMILK MARINADE
2 - lemons
1 2/3 cups - unsweetened soy milk
7 oz - coconut yogurt (the thicker the better)
2 tsp - salt
FOR THE DRY COATING
2 1/3 cups - all-purpose flour- plus extra for dusting
2 tsp - cayenne pepper
2 tsp - smoked paprika
2 tsp - garlic powder
1 tsp - black pepper
- Pre work: Clean work surface dusted liberally with flour | Large saucepan with a lid | Boiling water | Steamer basket or colander | Large deep-sided skillet | Cooking thermometer | Line a large plate with paper towels | Clear some space in the freezer | Freezer bags
- First make the dough for the poppers: Place the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, and all the herbs and spices in a large bowl and mix to combine | In a separate bowl or measuring cup, mix together the vegetable stock, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar | Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly until it comes together as a dough
- Tip the dough onto the floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes, until the dough becomes uniform and a bit spongy, being careful not to overwork it as it can get tough | Cut into 1/3-inch cubes
- Put the large saucepan over medium-high heat | Pour bolting water into the saucepan until it's 3/4 inch deep | Place the steamer basket or colander on top of the pan and add the dough cubes | Cover with the lid and simmer for 45 minutes to steam the dough | Check the water every now and then and top it up with boiling water if necessary to stop the pan burning dry | Remove after 45 minutes and set aside to coot to room temperature
- To make the buttermilk marinade, cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice into a bowl, catching any seeds in your other hand | Pour in the soy milk, coconut yogurt, and salt | Whisk together welt
- Now make the dry coating by combining all the ingredients in a separate bowl
- Put the cooled dough cubes into the buttermilk marinade and stir to cover | Leave for 10 minutes to marinate
- Dip the marinated dough pieces into the dry batter, rotting them around to coat Now double-dip them in the marinade and roll them in the dry batter for a second time
- For the first fry, pour vegetable oil for deep-frying into the large skillet so that it comes no more than halfway up the sides | Heat the oil to 265°F (this is a fairly low temperature for deep-frying so if you don't have a thermometer, drop a cube of bread into the pan to test the temperature: when it's ready it should float but take a little While to brown) | Transfer some of the battered poppers to the pan using a slotted spoon—do this in batches so the oil stays at the correct temperature | Fry, turning regularly, until tight golden brown and a light crust has started to form, about 3 minutes | Transfer to the plate lined with paper towels to drain and coot to room temperature, then transfer to freezer bags and put them in the freezer for at least an hour | Keep the oil in the pan to use again later
- Once the bites are frozen, take them out of the freezer | Reheat the oil to 350°F, or until a wooden spoon dipped into the oil sizzles around the edges Fry in batches, for about 5 minutes, until dark golden brown | Transfer to paper towels and sprinkle with sea salt
- Finely chop the cilantro leaves and sprinkle over the poppers along with the chili flakes | Serve with BBQ sauce or your favorite dip on the side