Sous vide (pronounced soo veed) is the biggest advance in home cooking methods since the microwave oven. I hope by the time you have read this little monograph you will agree. Sous vide cooking is cooking food in plastic bags (with air removed) in water that is kept at a constant temperature (to better than 0.5C accuracy).
Sous vide is steadily becoming more accessible to home cooks. Water ovens are starting to appear in electrical appliance stores. Edge vacuum sealers have been around for a while (for food storage). More guides and explanations are appearing in print and on the net.
The term sous vide (which translates to ‘under vacuum’) is misleading. While a partial vacuum may have been used to extract air and seal the bag, the food is not in a vacuum. It is just in a bag without air. Neither is it under pressure (except atmospheric pressure). Furthermore, the vacuum is not the point – precision cooking would be a less mysterious term.
While sous vide is precision temperature cooking, the precision is done for the cook not by the cook. The process is unattended. Sous vide is not mysterious or out of reach. It is easy, reliable and convenient.
This monograph is introductory - a starting point for the home cook to master the basics, understand the why, and then explore.
Sous vide is steadily becoming more accessible to home cooks. Water ovens are starting to appear in electrical appliance stores. Edge vacuum sealers have been around for a while (for food storage). More guides and explanations are appearing in print and on the net.
The term sous vide (which translates to ‘under vacuum’) is misleading. While a partial vacuum may have been used to extract air and seal the bag, the food is not in a vacuum. It is just in a bag without air. Neither is it under pressure (except atmospheric pressure). Furthermore, the vacuum is not the point – precision cooking would be a less mysterious term.
While sous vide is precision temperature cooking, the precision is done for the cook not by the cook. The process is unattended. Sous vide is not mysterious or out of reach. It is easy, reliable and convenient.
This monograph is introductory - a starting point for the home cook to master the basics, understand the why, and then explore.
