• Clean mushrooms with a brush dipped in water. Do not soak the mushrooms
• Add mushrooms to a food processor and blend until they are finely chopped. Measure 2 cups for this recipe
• In a large bowl, combine vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, minced onion, dried minced garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, black pepper, fennel seeds, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, sage, thyme, and salt
• Add chopped mushrooms to dry ingredients
• In another bowl, mix maple syrup, water, liquid amino, melted coconut oil, and liquid smoke
• Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. If the mixture is too moist, add a bit more vital wheat gluten until the mix is tacky. Knead until a dough forms (this may take 2-3 minutes)
• Preheat a steamer pan
• Split dough into 2 pieces to make 2 logs. Roll the dough on parchment paper into a cylindrical shape and wrap it 2-3 times with parchment paper. Twist each end of the parchment paper as tight as possible
• Steam the logs, wrapped in parchment paper, for 1 hour or until firm to the touch. Flip every 15-30 minutes. Ensure your steamer pan does not run out of water
• Preheat oven to 340 degrees Fahrenheit
• Allow logs to cool for a few minutes, then unwrap and coat with maple syrup. Bake for 30 minutes
• If using as a deli meat, slice into thin pieces and serve. If using as grounds, cut the logs into a few large pieces. Add the mushroom meat to the food processor and pulse until you have grounds
• When you are ready to use the grounds, add a little oil to a pan and cook until warm.

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TIP: If you are not using this right away, stop on step 9 and store the mushroom meat in the refrigerator, wrapped in parchment paper, and in a sealed container, to prevent drying