Sous-vide Cooking

Sous-vide Cooking


Sous-vide cooking is a cooking method in which the ingredient is placed in a vacuum-sealed bag, and then placed in a constant-temperature water bath; it is cooked for a long time at a low temperature of about 65 degrees. It is significantly different from traditional cooking in the following two aspects:
1. Place the raw material in a vacuum-sealed bag.
2. Use a specially regulated constant temperature for slow cooking.
 
Vacuum-sealed food cooked by the sous-vide cooker can reduce the loss of the original flavor of the food, the moisture is kept in the cooking process and prevent the contamination of other flavors. This cooking method keeps the original flavor of ingredients and makes the food more nutritious; sous-vide also prevents the growth of bacteria and allows the ingredients to absorb heat from water or steam more efficiently. Of course, it is very important to precisely control the temperature environment when cooking fish and poultry.
 

The cooker used for sous-vide cooking

Sous-vide cookers and vacuum-sealed machines. The temperature setting should generally be between 20 to 99 degrees.
 
Advantages of sous-vide cooking
Sous-vide cooking can minimize moisture and weight loss, keeping the original taste of food and the aroma of spices and the color of the food. It can reduce the amount of salt used, or eliminate it, retain nutrients in the food, separate food juice and water and keep the vitamins better than steaming and boiling. Sous-vide cooking requires no oil or very little oil and can guarantee the same result every time you cook.
 
Operation
Because the ideal temperature for the survival of bacteria is 4 to 65 degrees, the temperature of sous-vide cooking should be equal to or greater than 65 degrees for sterilization on principle. The temperature of sous-vide cooking is best not to exceed 70 degrees to reduce the loss of moisture and flavor. However, the temperature and time required for different foods are different. The following is a table of temperatures and time for some foods cooked by sous-vide cooking given by molecular cooking master Thomas Keller:

 
Food Temperatures Time
Sirloin steaks 59.5°C 45 minutes
Chicken thighs 64°C 1 hour
Duck breast 60.5°C 25 minutes
Lamb chops 60.5°C 35 minutes
Pork tenderloin 80°C 8 hours
Pork 82.2°C 12 hours
Quail 64°C 1 hour
Veal Steak 61°C 30 minutes
Foie Gras 68°C 25 minutes
Tuna 59.5°C 13 minutes
Salmon 59.5°C 11 minutes
Lobsters 59.5°C 15 minutes
Ordinary fish 62°C  12 minutes
 
All the dishes have passed the inspection of the US Food Sanitation Administration, so the operation according to this table can guarantee the hygiene and safety of the food.