Sous Vide, anyone?

[Overpaid Slacker]

During my hiatus from the office-life, I cheffed in several restaurants. One of the innovations that I found amazing is cooking sous vide.

You can achieve results that are not only *perfect* every time, but you can do things it would be impossible to do without such precision control. The control you have with something as simple as an egg is amazing. The Food Lab's Guide to Slow-Cooked, Sous-Vide-Style Eggs | Serious Eats

And you can achieve a texture with fish (especially salmon) that master chefs would struggle to replicate time after time. How to Cook Fish Sous Vide | Sansaire

I just picked up an immersion circulator for myself (the prices have come waaaaay down in the last couple of years).

So my first home-cooked sous vide meal will be corned beef (which will come as no surprise to any of you who have met me), but I'm looking for other experiences/recipes from anybody here that's cooked sous vide.

I have Keller's book, Under Pressure, which is the reference tome for sous vide (it *is* Thomas Keller), but this is really the coolest kitchen mad scientist device I've ever seen, so I'm wondering what crazy stuff others have tried.

-jPp

[Rickysa]

I spent a week at the Culinary Institute in Kaly and could kick myself for not making arrangement to hit the French Laundry...I really want to try this type of cooking.

[craigster59]

There was a thread on this awhile back, even how to make your own apparatus. Haven't tried it yet. Do you Sous Vide?

[Overpaid Slacker]

A couple of chef buddies and I were discussing how to make an immersion circulator by ourselves. I don't think it would be too difficult, frankly. But, now a really good one is $200, so I just bought one. I was tempted to buy two... and keep butter in the second one as a holding spot for finished food. But, it's just my humble kitchen, I don't really need to hold anything at temp for long.

Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

-jPp

[sammyg2]

I had a PB and J sammich for lunch.

[TimT]

I have done sous-vide...

retasked the set up I put together for home brewing beer, a RIMS system it has a heating element, a pump to circulate the water, and a controller that has a dwell of 1 deg F.... so it maintains temps quite consistently...

Not as elegant as the recirculators available now for $200..... but I already had the set up.... and it works well

[BRPORSCHE]

I have very few culinary must do's in life. Thomas Keller's French Laundry is one of them.

[Overpaid Slacker]

TimT - great idea!
BR- check out Spinning Plates on Netflix. It's not about Keller per se, but he's interviewed in it, and he comes across very classy.

[greglepore]

Been at it for 5 or so years now.

Salmon? Meh...no need of an IC. Tap water at 130 f and a ziplock works great.

Steaks, check. Rack of Lamb, check check. Short ribs for 72 hrs, great. Duck breast for 1.5, oh yeah.

Sous vide is a great addition to the arsenal, but like many things, you'll overuse it at first and then it'll become a tool in the toolbox. Its great for where you need to either change a texture or do something at exactly the same level of doneness edge to edge. Some things are worse sous vide, many better.

For many home cooks using small quantities, precise temp control is more important than circulation, and you can hack something for well under $100.