What Is Sous Vide Cooking?

Sous Vide cooking is one of the cooking methods and "sous vide" means "under vacuum" in French. In this method, food ingredients are cooked for a long time in a water bath at low temperature in vacuum plastic bags or special containers that will not allow air in.

The Sous Vide cooking process works on the principle of cooking at low and constant temperature. Usually the water temperature is between 50-85°C and foods are cooked at this low temperature for a long time (usually hours or days). This low temperature ensures that foods are cooked in the desired way and homogeneously.

Sous Vide Cooking Equipment and Usage

Sous Vide allows you to achieve perfect results while preserving the flavor and texture of food. The equipment you basically need for Sous Vide cooking is as follows:

1. Sous Vide Temperature Control Device: This device is used to precisely adjust the temperature of the water bath. It is usually called "Sous Vide Immersion Circulator". The device is hung inside a container filled with water and keeps the water temperature at the desired level.
2. Vacuum Machine or Vacuum Bags: Vacuuming and packaging food so that it does not get air allows you to get better results in the water bath. Seal the food tightly using a vacuum machine or vacuum bags.
3. Plastic or Stainless Steel Water Container: In Sous Vide cooking, you cook food in a water bath. Therefore, it is important to use a durable plastic or stainless steel water container.
4. Sous Vide Weight (Optional): Some users prefer to use a weight to submerge vacuumed foods in water and prevent them from floating. This helps you submerge foods in water properly.

Sous Vide Cooking Usage:

1. Preparing the Water Container: Before starting the Sous Vide cooking process, fill the water container with water and adjust the water temperature according to the instructions of the Sous Vide temperature control device.
2. Preparing Foods: You can flavor, marinate or season foods before cooking. Also place the foods in vacuum bags. Pay attention to having uniform thickness so that homogeneous cooking is achieved.
3. Vacuuming: Vacuum the foods with a vacuum machine or seal them tightly using vacuum bags so that they do not get air. Be careful not to leave any gaps or air bubbles inside the bag.
4. Sous Vide Cooking: Submerge the vacuumed foods in the water bath and turn on the Sous Vide temperature control device. Foods should be cooked at the desired temperature for a specified period of time. Times may vary depending on the type and thickness of the food to be cooked. Usually long cooking times ranging from 1 hour to 48 hours are used.
5. Final Touches: After Sous Vide cooking is complete, remove the foods from the water bath. Open the vacuum bags and make the final touches to serve the food, for example you can add sauce, grill or fry.

Sous Vide cooking can be used to achieve perfect results with various foods such as meat, fish, vegetables, eggs. However, don't forget safe food practices and use appropriate temperatures and times for food safety.

Main Recipes Prepared with Sous Vide Cooking

Here are some of the main recipes you can prepare with sous vide:

• Sous Vide Grilled Steak: Ingredients: Steak, salt, black pepper, butter, garlic (optional) Recipe: Season the steaks with salt and black pepper, put them in vacuum bags and add a piece of butter. Adding garlic also adds flavor. Cook in a preheated sous vide water bath at 55-60°C (131-140°F) for 1-2 hours. Then quickly sear each side for 1-2 minutes in a grill pan to get color.
• Sous Vide Fish: Ingredients: Fresh fish fillet (salmon, sea bass, trout, etc.), lemon slices, fresh herbs (dill, basil), olive oil, salt, black pepper Recipe: Season the fish fillet with salt, black pepper, olive oil and lemon slices. Place in a vacuum bag and cook in a sous vide water bath at 50-55°C (122-131°F) for 30 minutes to 1 hour. You can add fresh herbs on top when serving.
• Sous Vide Chicken Breast: Ingredients: Chicken breast, olive oil, thyme, cumin, salt, black pepper Recipe: Marinate the chicken breast with olive oil, thyme, cumin, salt and black pepper. Place in vacuum bags and cook in a sous vide water bath at 65-70°C (149-158°F) for 1-2 hours. You can then quickly sear each side in a pan to get color.
• Sous Vide Vegetables: Ingredients: Your preferred vegetables (carrots, potatoes, zucchini, broccoli, etc.), olive oil, salt, pepper Recipe: Season the vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in vacuum bags and cook in a sous vide water bath at 85-90°C (185-194°F) for 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the type of vegetable. You can then lightly sear them in a pan or oven.
• Sous Vide Creme Caramel: Ingredients: Egg yolks, milk, vanilla extract, sugar Recipe: Whisk egg yolks, milk, vanilla and sugar in a bowl. Pour the mixture into a vacuum bag and cook in a sous vide water bath at 80°C (176°F) for 1 hour. Then remove from the bag and let it cool. Then you can serve.

Note: When cooking food sous vide, temperature and cooking time may vary depending on the ingredients used and food size. Make sure foods are cooked at certain temperatures for safety and pay attention to timing.

Comparison of Sous Vide Cooking and Traditional Cooking Methods

Sous vide cooking and traditional cooking methods are two basic cooking methods that have different approaches to preparing food. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. Here is a comparison of these two methods:

1. Food Preparation Method:

• Traditional Cooking: Traditional cooking methods are the process of cooking food directly on a heat source (stove, oven, grill, etc.). Food is cooked directly in a pot, pan or oven exposed to heat.
• Sous Vide Cooking: Sous vide means "under vacuum" in French. In this method, food is cooked for a long time in a water bath at low temperature in vacuum plastic bags or special containers. Food reaches the desired degree of cooking by being kept at low temperature.

2. Temperature Control:

• Traditional Cooking: In traditional methods, temperature control during the cooking process is usually more difficult. Temperature fluctuations may occur during the cooking process, which may cause food to sometimes go outside the ideal temperature range.
• Sous Vide Cooking: The sous vide method provides precise temperature control. Food remains constant at the desired temperature in the water bath, so it becomes easier for foods to achieve more consistent and desired doneness.

3. Flavor and Textures:

• Traditional Cooking: Traditional cooking methods can create delicious browned, crispy or crust on foods. However, in some cases, foods may dry out or be overcooked.
• Sous Vide Cooking: The sous vide method tends to achieve more homogeneous and moist results depending on the content of the food. However, crust does not form on foods, so some flavor and textural properties may be different compared to traditional methods.

4. Time and Preparation:

• Traditional Cooking: Traditional cooking methods sometimes give faster results. You can cook your food and serve it immediately.
• Sous Vide Cooking: The sous vide method may require long cooking times, so you may need to plan a bit more. However, you don't need to watch the food during cooking, so you spend less active time.

5. Health and Nutritional Values:

• Traditional Cooking: In traditional methods, high heat can cause some nutritional values to decrease. Also, cooking at high temperatures can contribute to the formation of carcinogenic compounds.
• Sous Vide Cooking: Sous vide can help better preserve nutritional values due to cooking at low temperature. Also, cooking in a temperature-controlled environment can reduce the risk of carcinogenic compound formation.

In conclusion, both methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. Traditional cooking methods may be ideal for browned crusts and fast results, while the sous vide method can provide superiority in more precise temperature control and preserving nutritional values. Which method you prefer may depend on your expectations during the cooking process and your personal preferences.

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