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Sous vide

Postby Dena » Thu Sep 13, 2012 10:04 am

I am now the proud owner of a Sous Vide Supreme demi and am reading sll the bumph that came with it, plus recipes. Has anyone any favourite recipes they can share please.

I can't wait to get started and am thinking all sorts of things to try cooking in it - so would love your ideas. :thumbsup :D

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Re: Sous vide

Postby Sakkarin » Thu Sep 13, 2012 12:01 pm

Will read your adventures with interest! What did you use for the bagging up bit in the end?

Bugs me though that you have to pay 300 quid for something that I'm sure the rice cooker manufacturers could create around existing kit for a fraction of that cost.

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Re: Sous vide

Postby Sakkarin » Thu Sep 13, 2012 12:05 pm

Incidentally, one of my old website clients was a caterer, who I believe uses sous vide for some of his preparation. We did discuss it very briefly, he was sceptical that you needed the micro-control of a custom-made bath, and that just keeping an eye on the temperature in any old bit of kit should be enough. As I said, we didn't really discuss in detail, but maybe I could get in touch with him for his input?

EDIT: Sorry, that wasn't meant to poo-poo your new kit, I am extremely jealous. :-(

EDIT 2: Ha, this is a funny looking piece of kit, if it works, it would certainly be a talking point in any kitchen! Scroll down to the next picture on the page, the legs - er, what's that all about!?!

Ebay, Sous Vide Waterbath from China, £104

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Re: Sous vide

Postby Dena » Thu Sep 13, 2012 1:01 pm

I'm jealous I didn't get legs like that with mine.

It was a present from my son Sakkarin (and as he said "Don't forget to leave it to me Mum :mrgreen: ), it is this one http://www.sousvidesupreme.com/default. ... tAodtzgAJw and I am thrilled to bits with it. I had the vacuum sealer/packer thingy anyway, I bought it from Jean Patrique ages ago - was so pleased that it seems to be fine.

Reading the blurb it seems that cooking at such low temperatures needs exact temperature control, still reading it all though, hopefully to inwardly digest :roll: I thought the thickish recipe booklet would have loads of recipes but it has a few recipes translated into 5 languages. :lol: :lol:

I have a DVD to watch too.

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Re: Sous vide

Postby Sakkarin » Thu Sep 13, 2012 1:09 pm

I note that your bath is 9 litres, where that Chinese one is only 2 litres, maybe for sous videing a single chop?

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Re: Sous vide

Postby Stokey Sue » Thu Sep 13, 2012 3:16 pm

Love the legs! :clap

Actually what I like about the Chinese water bath is the brass spigot, which looks like it has crept in from an antique laboratory or pharmacy (my spiritual home)

I think Dena is right about needing the more accurate temperature control for low temperature sous-vide cooking - the stuff caterers used to sell and use as bought in dishes (every had OK but slightly slimy duck al'orange in a pub? A staple of the old-style sous vide trade - or boil in the bag cuisine as it used to be known). If you are cooking and reheating at or near boiling point the precise temperature doesn't matter. If you are cooking below 70 deg C (Pasteurisation point) it is far more important - both for safety and for the actual flavour and texture of hte dish, as you are working with the natural biochemistry of the foodstuff, and ot get the optimum (Heston level) effect you need precision.

Also low-temp sous vide it takes hours, and for peace of mind you need a thermostat you trust - it's not like in a commrcial kitchen where the machine won't be on unattended, for some dishes you might even go to bed and leave it on all night.

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Re: Sous vide

Postby jeral » Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:05 pm

There was a lengthy thread on the BBC board about sous vide from which I recall Ianinfrance had much knowledge. Here's one on Wildfood that might help: http://www.wildfood.info/viewtopic.php? ... de#p151811

The only thing I know is that the temperature is often critical within two or three degrees so happy your son bought you a "posh" one that should guarantee temp stability. Cool.

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Re: Sous vide

Postby Dena » Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:39 pm

Hi jeral, it was both Emerald and Belgian Blue I discussed it with on the Beeb board, Belgian Blue said Emerald was the expert and I agree, she was so very helpful. Nice to know they are still around - thanks for the link. I knew Ian was interested in Molecular gastronomy (he, Sakkarin and I were trying to find a supplier of transglutiminase but gave up) but I didn't know he had embraced sous vide.

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Re: Sous vide

Postby hungryhousewife » Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:10 pm

Well done Dena!!! :clap :clap :clap

Ian in France is very knowledgeable about the Sous Vide technique and all the safety aspects. Didn't you buy Under Pressure when you bought French Laundry??

Also, I remember from the BBC SV thread, Emerald 7 pointing us towards Douglas Baldwin's on-line book - 'Sous Vide for the Home Cook'.

Interestingly, I heard the other day that The Vineyard, near Newbury has stopped using Sous Vide as a method of cooking. Haven't heard why, but it was a Food Hygiene Officer that told me!

Very very envious of your fabo bit of kit! Have fun, and let us hear the adventure!!

HH

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Re: Sous vide

Postby hungryhousewife » Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:34 pm

Dena!! Are you watching Masterchef??!! Sous vide!!
HH

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Re: Sous vide

Postby Renée » Thu Sep 13, 2012 11:54 pm

I think that I can understand the food hygiene aspect of it. There will be bacteria on the meat which will probably multiply during the long slow cooking and if the meat hasn't reached the required temperature to kill pathogens, there definitely will be problems.

Maybe I'm wrong? I'm sure that someone more knowledgeable than me will know.

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Re: Sous vide

Postby Stokey Sue » Fri Sep 14, 2012 10:47 am

Most bacteria thrive best at roughly 37 deg C
Most die off above 70
Whether the space in between is dangerous depends on the bug, the substrate (food!) and the hygiene
Most bugs aren't pathogens, fortunately




It came to me last night what the Chinese "sous-vide" water Baath is really designed for

It is very obviously a bit of lab kit (photographed in a working lab)

The giveaway is the lid made of a series of concentric rings, obviously designed so you can use it with a a hole of a specific size in the lid

It is a steam distillation bath, and a round bottomed flask sits in the hole! Or you can put an evaporating dish on it for crystallisation
We used to use beautiful old copper steam distillation baths in my youth

Like this

Image

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Re: Sous vide

Postby Sakkarin » Fri Sep 14, 2012 12:11 pm

I guess I'd better cancel my order then!!! Whoops!!!








(not really :-))



EDIT: That still doesn't explain the legs...

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Re: Sous vide

Postby Stokey Sue » Fri Sep 14, 2012 12:52 pm

Sakkarin wrote: EDIT: That still doesn't explain the legs...


Maybe they are steam distilling halucinogens?





If it is a piece of lab equipment of course there's a real chance the temp setting is fairly accurate - a lot of sous vide equipment is made by Grant (a lab firm), I had one of their first lab baths, so much better & cheaper then anything else available 35 years ago. Solid state electronics,and high tech plastics and great colour finish - it was the Lotus sports car of lab equipment OK, so I'm a geek!

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Re: Sous vide

Postby jeral » Fri Sep 14, 2012 5:01 pm

Halucinogens eh? Perhaps we should all get a steam distiller if they're better than the proverbial magic mushrooms ;)

What does a steam distiller do? I was thinking about desalination plants for seawater earlier which is of course completely irrelevant.

Incidentally, how can one test if a sous vide bath is maintaining the temperature it says? A bit like oven thermometers can be unreliable so need an independent thermometer. Is that possible or are the baths "sealed" during operation?

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Re: Sous vide

Postby Sakkarin » Thu Sep 20, 2012 9:13 pm

Around 300 quid doesn't seem such an extravagance compared to some of the excesses in this foodie kitchen!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/ ... ic-kitchen

How's it going with the new kit, Dena?

I'm wondering if either of these may have mileage as a cheaper way of entering the fray:

Looks ready to go:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sous-Vide-Mag ... 502wt_1292

Would need a US-UK converter of some sort.:
http://www.dorkfood.com/

Maybe should ask IaninFrance, as I believe he's tinkered with "hobbyist" kit....

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Re: Sous vide

Postby Dena » Thu Sep 20, 2012 11:05 pm

Funny you should say that Sakkarin, I have been talking to Ian about this and he has given some invaluable info.

I am cooking brisket for Sunday and I'm putting it on tomorrow :roll: - slow cooking or what?

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Re: Sous vide

Postby hungryhousewife » Sun Sep 23, 2012 11:21 pm

How are you getting on with your new Sous Vide Gadget Dena? I've been dying to know what you've tried and what sort of success you've had.

I had fun yesterday, I ended up cooking a huge Paella for 20 of us in a field!! I felt a bit like Keith Floyd!! Everything came out well, but I was using a friend's gas burner, so was a bit nervous to start with - as I had mountains of chicken, prawns and squid to cook!

I must say, we were jolly lucky with the weather - anyone would have thought we were in a field in Spain! What a contrast to today!!

HH

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Re: Sous vide

Postby Dena » Mon Sep 24, 2012 11:59 am

Hi H.H.

I have only cooked one thing so far (have a broken toe and it was too painful to even hop/hobble for long) - the brisket and I had it yesterday. First thing I noticed was that it hadn't shrunk at all. Amazing (to me) as it had been cooking for two days. When it came out of it's bag it looked very anaemic but I browned it on the hob to make it look appetising. It was really good, nice texture, cooked perfectly and was tender, neither over or undercooked.

Had PM conversations with Ian before he left on his hols with a long discussion on the things he had tried. He said as he had been busy over the summer with his B&B, he hadn't tried as many recipes as he had wanted, but he gave me links to what he considered the best books to buy.

Now the initial trepidation has gone, I can't wait to try more things.

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Re: Sous vide

Postby hungryhousewife » Mon Sep 24, 2012 12:35 pm

Well done you for 'jumping' that initial confidence hurdle! And with a broken toe!! :clap :clap

Looking forward to hearing more exciting adventures!

HH

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