Balkan people are really huge consumers of pork meat. Annual pig slaughters are almost family traditions in some regions. During that event, pieces of pork fat are fried to be eaten - and that product is called "čvarci". When I first posted this recipe, which is vegan version of čvarci, I got a message saying "my teasing went too far". Indeed, that person was actually offended by - a recipe.
Anyways, I just wanted to show that there is almost no recipe that cannot be veganized. That's great because that way people can enjoy the flavors and animals can stay alive. Isn't eating vegan cracklings better than killing a whole pig for a few fried bits of its fat?
Allergens: soy | Preparation time: 40 min | Portions: 5 | Complexity: easy
Ingredients
150 g soy chunks
a bit of vegetable stock (2 small frozen homemade cubes, or 1 store-bought bouillon cube)
1 L water
1.5 tsp smoked powdered paprika
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
1 leveled tsp salt
olive oil
Preparation
Boil the stock cube in water to make a 'soup', then turn off the heat and put the soy chunks in it.
Let them stay for 15 minutes in the soup, then drain and press in a strainer with a spoon so that as much water as possible comes out.
Put chunks in a bowl and add spices and a spoonful of olive oil. Mix well.
Heat a little oil in a pan and put in the pieces. Occasionaly stirring, fry them for 10 minutes on high (but not max) heat. The mixing should not be aggressive, as this will cause the pieces to fall apart - we only use it so that the pieces become nicely browned on all sides.
Notes
These soy chunks are from Spar, their Veggie brand. There are smaller ones - mostly called flakes or mince, and they serve as a substitute for minced meat. There are also bigger ones - medallions, they are an alternative to steaks. Soy is amazing!
