Sous Vide Basics

Take a cue from chefs and take the guesswork out of preparing meals with this ingenious appliance. The latest trend in home cooking is sous-vide cooking, where food is typically sealed in plastic pouches and cooked in a temperature-controlled water bath. The result is perfectly cooked meat, fish, vegetables and eggs. Sous vide machines are one of the hottest selling and popular appliances today but despite their popularity, most home cooks are somewhat intimidated by them once they bring them home. Where do you start? What should you first try? This is where Jay Nutt, a professional chef and bestselling author, and Jennifer MacKenzie, also a bestseller author, come in. Taking a friendly and very easy-to-follow approach, they walk you through all the basics of this ingenious appliance, ensuring predictable and perfect results every time. All the information a home cook needs is here, from properly prepping the food, proper bag and glass use (typically for eggs), desired cooking times and temperatures, to tips and techniques for finishing your food to caramelized perfection.Sous vide machines are all about efficiency and effectiveness and with this in mind, Jay and Jennifer provide clear directions including charts, making the transition to sous vide a fun and stress-free process. The 125 recipes were especially developed with the sous vide in mind and they are simply delicious. There are recipes for every occasion and for every component of a meal - from incredible Broccoli and Cheddar Breakfast Strata, to Thai Green Curry Mussels in Coconut Milk appetizers, Porchetta Sandwich with Spicy Aioli and Shredded Lettuce on Ciabatta Roll for the perfect lunch or get together for the big game. The main courses and sides are perfect family fare and also do double duty for effortless entertaining - from Super-Slow Whisky, Garlic and Brown Sugar Brisket, to Garlic and Lemon Chicken Breasts to a sublime Dijon and Rosemary Leg of Lamb with Red Wine Sauce. Jay and Jennifer have also included vegetarian dishes and side dish ideas along with desserts that are tailor-made for the sous vide like Chocolate Almond Bread Pudding and Creme Caramel. These recipes prove that you'll be able to achieve results simply not possible through using traditional cooking methods.Yes, sous vide may require some preparation and planning but the results are worth it!