TVP is an underrated, cheap and convenient mock meat but do you ever struggle to get it to taste really good?
There are about a million different variations on how to make seasonings and broths but it always seems like TVP ends up as a soggy mass of bland, spongy textured stuff that has a strong cardboard-y aftertaste which has a tendency to permeate whatever dish it's added to.
So how do you up your TVP game?
This method from Chef Jana has a technique that I haven't seen anywhere else before and that is to fry the TVP before you add any broth.
What does this achieve?
First of all, this gives the TVP a delicious, almost al-dente texture like you would expect from ground beef.
Second, it prevents your TVP from becoming waterlogged.
Third, the broth you add and cook down into the TVP is effectively retained in the TVP so you can achieve flavoring contrasts like you would get normally with non-veg dishes.
Fourth, the strength of your broth flavoring will be roughly the same as the final strength of flavor in your TVP which makes it very easy to estimate how to season the broth and how much seasoning to use.
Fifth, by shaking off any excess TVP flour you eliminate the majority of the cardboard-y aftertaste and with a properly seasoned broth you will mask any remaining cardboard taste.
Sixth, and this is the big one, you will achieve a high level of browning and fond which will increase the contrast of flavors and it will bring a richness that TVP usually lacks.
Remember to fry your TVP in deodorized coconut oil or vegetable shortening because the high level of saturated fat will impart a very meat-like mouthfeel and remember that it will take at least a few minutes to brown up but just keep faith and keep stirring because it will suddenly begin browning up all at once and you want to distribute that across all the TVP as well as you can.
If you find that you have too much fond on the bottom of your pan or you're worried that it's getting too dark and it risks burning you can deglaze the pan with a minimal amount of very hot or boiling liquid (water, broth, wine etc.) but keep in mind that you want to be very conservative in how much you add because you don't want to braise your TVP and it should be hot liquid because you want it to evaporate from the pan ASAP. Also, if you deglaze very early in the process you may retard the browning process and you really want to avoid doing that wherever possible.
That's really all there is to it!
Stay tuned for an effortpost on how to season broths for mock meat and how to balance the flavors.