Sous vide is a very popular style of cooking, which involves putting the food in vacuum sealed plastic pouch, which is then placed in a steam or hot water bath. If you want to make your food more flavoursome, then sous vide is the ideal technique to use. Although the time involved in sous vide cooking is more than usual, due to slow cooking the food cooks evenly, moisture is retained and flavours are brought out amazingly, which are lost during the normal cooking process.
Irrespective of whether you are a pro at cooking or have just adopted this hobby, anyone using the sous vides techniques for cooking should keep a few effective tips in mind to make their cooking more effective. First of all, choosing the right duration of time and temperature for cooking is essential, as it is different for different food items, like meat and vegetables. At the same time, the thickness of the food item you are cooking should also be considered while deciding the cooking time.
Another good option is to try marinades which can lend a distinctive touch to the food. Whether you combine sage, rosemary, bay leaf and lemon thyme with rapeseed oil, or try the preferred combination of honey, rice wine, bay leaf and star anise, it is sure to make any dish a favourite among all.
Seasoning is quite common to enhance the flavours of food. Fresh herbs are more favoured, whereas dried herbs are quite common as well. Whichever you prefer, dried or fresh herbs, their judicious use will result in a subtle flavour.
Overfishing is a common problem that many faces while trying their hand at sous vide cooking, especially when it comes to meat. It is common to sear the meat in an oven after cooking in order to give it finishing. However, it can lead to overcooked food in case it is not done properly. Therefore, it should be avoided to avoid spoiling a great dish.
Another thing to avoid is adding a lot of liquid while cooking. If you are going to prepare fish or meat, then add only a little amount of butter or oil. It should be enough to coat the food suitably, and not too much that the food gets soaked into it. You can also add a few spices or herbs to boost the flavours.
Sous vide requires you to leave the food in water, but this should not be done just for the sake of it. While this technique does not require you to keep stirring or moving the food constantly, it should not be left cooking for too long. The recommended time duration should be followed to keep the food from overcooking or turning into mush.
While initially, sous vide cooking can prove to be a daunting technique to master, once you have understood how cooking on low temperatures works, it will become very simple, enabling you to produce amazing results. Different food items are cooked at varied temperatures and for a specific time. Therefore, experimenting is a good way to increase your knowledge and enhance your skills.