Sous Vide Cooking: The Revolution Taking Over Home Kitchens.
A couple of years ago very few people outside the professional cooking scene would have even heard of the ‘sous vide’ cooking method. Now it seems like sous vide is everywhere from cooking shows to your foodie friends’ kitchen bench. And boy does it taste good.
What Does Sous Vide Mean?
First, a quick introduction to this cooking method. ‘Sous vide’ is a French term meaning ‘under vacuum’. The food being cooked — usually meat (but also vegetables and desserts) is placed in a vacuum sealed bag. The bag is then put in a water bath which is kept at a specific temperature by an immersion circulator. Regulating the temperature means that the food can be cooked at a much lower temperature, and for much longer. This cooking process also ensures the meat or vegetables retain their juices and flavour. The result is beautiful, tender meat.
The Maillard Reaction
But sous vide cooking does have a significant drawback. Because the meat does not touch a hot surface during the cooking process there is no Maillard reaction. In order to obtain this proper caramelisation and texture, sous vide meat must be briefly cooked on a hot surface, such as a grill, fry pan, or bbq prior to serving. This also heats the meat, which is important when you have been cooking it n a water bath at a low temperature.
On the flipside, the use of an immersion circulator ensures the food is cooked at a specific constant temperature. This means you can replicate the same results, time after time. Immersion circulators are easy to use and can be purchased at a reasonable price. Some even come with wifi connectivity to make the whole cooking process even easier.
Conclusion
Sous Vide Cooking can sound a bit daunting, but let me assure you, once you taste the results you will want to do it yourself. And it’s really very simple once you have the right equipment.