New Sous Vide book by Thomas Keller *****


 
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Rita Y

TVWBB Emerald Member
Thomas Keller, award winning chef and cookbook author does it again with Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide. The first book written in English on this cooking method, "it introduces cooks to one of the most important culinary innovations of modern times," says Harold McGee in the introduction. Sous vide, which involves packing food in airtight plastic bags and cooking at low heat, achieves results that other cooking methods simply cannot--in flavor and precision.

Under Pressure is a valuable addition to the home cook's library at a time when there is an increased interest in food and cooking, both in the restaurant and at home. Sous vide cooking relies on the balance of time and temperature in achieving optimal results. In Under Pressure, those results can be found in innovative recipes from Thomas Keller and the chefs of The French Laundry and Per Se.
 
I haven't gone through mine yet. It's home. Looks good though.

Keller's book might be the first written in English but Joan Roca's Sous-vide Cuisine was the first written (in Spanish) and is the seminal book. It has been translated into English and numerous chefs have utilized Roca's techniques and detail, including Keller among many others--but it's $200. There has certainly been a lot of interest in the approach, obviously in many restaurants but from home cooks as well. It should be noted that sous vide is not an inexpensive methodology. The necessary equipment is spendy but there are a few recipes (duck confit comes immediately to mind) that don't require anything more than a vacuum sealer and a pot.

Going for it Rita?
 
I imagine that's an interesting read. I've often wondered if sous vide is a viable answer to staging multiple heated foods but not over cooking them. I'm not sure about the physics involved but say you have beef tenderloins cut and in the bag. If they are resting in water that is held at a constant 135, can the meat ever get warmer and thus overcook? How long could you hold the meat like that? I'm sure it would eventually dry out... I don't know if there is some sort of compounding affect with heat, but in theory, I can't think of how the temp of meat could exceed the source of the heat. Maybe it's in the book!
 
It cannot get hotter than ambient conditions and can be held nearly indefinitely though, eventually, with a quality loss. Meats cooked at low temps sous vide must be held long enough at those temps to a) heat completely through to the temp of the water, b) heat long enough to achieve pasteurization, and c) heat long enough to achieve tenderness, especially important for the tougher cuts (shoulder, short ribs, et al.) that are often used in sous vide approaches. Devloping timing for sous vide is a combination of all three variables.
 
Rita, Thanks for the heads-up! I think that's something I might enjoy. I've been fooling with a thermostatic controlled water bath re-circulator that I've had for years, back to my home processing of color films! A thermo re-circulator, zip-loc bag, and a bowl of water....
 
I thought this would generate some interest.

I'm dying to play with this. Techno-detail precision is right down my alley. It sounds so practical and efficient, among other things. This approach is really catching on. Ha! Before you know it, Cuisinart or Krups or another major appliance manufacturer will come out with a home version of the equipment. Look what they have done with waffle makers. Stay tuned!
 
Hmm. I'm skeptical. Could happen but I am thinking that unless the manufacturers can figure out a way to keep the consumer from not incorrectly handling the food item during prep, not incorrectly vac-sealing, not cooking too low, not cooking for too short a time, etc., it won't happen. All these are critical for safety primarily, quality secondarily. All the ducks need to line up in a row, as it were.
 
Isn't this similar to the process of hot tubing a rib eye, prior to finishing it on a grill?

I have watched a few cooking shows where they cook this way, and it certainly takes time, and many excessive steps and whatnot to acheive your desired results. But I imagine the tenderness and purity of flavor is nice.

I have both of his last 2 books, I think. The french laundry book was great to read thru, but I've yet to cook a darn thing out of it.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
It should be noted that sous vide is not an inexpensive methodology. The necessary equipment is spendy </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
And then some.
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I'm so interrested in this cooking technique though.
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Hoping for a big breakthrough some time soon in the price dept.
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Thanks for posting Rita.
 
There are things you can do sans equipment, save for a vacuum sealer: confits of various types, e.g., are good to start with as they will help you get familar with the process and the way flavors (added flavors especially) affect the main food item you are cooking. A big advantageto sous vide for confit: one does not need cups and cups of rendered duck fat or lard, as is the case for conventional confit--a few tablespoons per vac pouch is all that is required.
 
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