Literally, sous vide means ‘under vacuum’. The French method of cooking uses an immersion circulator which circulates temperature-controlled water so the food immersed in the water bath cooks to a precise level of doneness.
In the past decade, this method has been used by high-end, Michelin-star, restaurants because the advantages of sous vide cooking are considerable. The process not only offers unprecedented control in the kitchen, but it makes food tastes amazing. Because the food is cooked to perfection in airtight bags, for longer times at lower temperatures the result is intensely flavourful food. And, the nutrients stay in the food. They are not diluted by conventional cooking methods.
How It Works
Basically food is placed in an air-tight food grade plastic bag and immersed in a bath. Once controls are set to an ideal serving temperature of the final dish, the food eventually reaches the same temperature as the water.
The low, precise temperature ensures the food is always exceptional – a result which can’t be achieved with traditional methods making it a game-changer when it comes to serving an amazing meal.
This differs from conventional stove top and oven methods in which the heated is much higher than the serving temperature, making it necessary to remove the food at just the right moment, when its done but not overcooked.
Sous Vide Sides, alleviate much of the anxiety that all too often surrounds cooking.
Whether cooking for one, or for the family; or you’re planning a dinner party or holiday meal; whether at home or at the cottage, Sous Vide Sides means delicious nutritious meals and you don’t have to be stuck in the kitchen. A boon for busy families because prep and cooking time is remarkably reduced.
Prepared daily, the airless environment created by vacuum sealing helps infuse foods with the flavours of herbs, spices and other aromatics while retaining all the nutrients.
Sous Vide Sides can be used cold in salads, or warmed in the oven or on top of the stove using one of our compound butters to deepen flavours to create a unique, restaurant worthy meal, without the expense.
Safety
With confidence, we can say sous vide cooking is very safe thanks to its precision and control, which pasturizes food and reduces the risk of harmful bacterial growth. heat food to a temperature for a certain amount of time in order to reduce enough of the pathogens to deem it safe. We often pasteurize in sous vide cooking
rapidly chilled and then refrigerated. What does “rapidly chilled” mean? It involves plunging still-sealed bags into a large ice bath to stop the cooking, let sit until chilled, and then refrigerate it for late
Interestingly, when sous vide cooking first arrived in the world of food prep, the technique wasn’t used to make food taste better. In the late 60’s food-grade plastics and vacuum packing were mastered by French and American engineers as a safety measure to keep packaged foods in a water bath at a precise temperature for pasteurizing and sterilizing which made large scale food prep easier and safer for labs, hospitals and large scale commercial food companies. It also meant that the food processed would have a longer shelf life.
In 1974, a French chef wanted to develop a new way of preparing foie gras. Ultimately, through experimentation, the chef found that foie gras lost the least amount of fat when poached at a precise temperature and the taste excel traditional preparation when sealed in plastic. And the rest, as they say is restaurant history.
A Word or Two About Food Grade Plastics
minimizing prep time while maximizing food safety.
Sous Vide Sides is all about eating well. As a company that prides itself on nutrition and environmental awareness, our team decided to to do a lot of research before launching our new line of feel good nutrition. In short, we needed to be certain that Sous vide Sides offered superior nutrition and a sustainable methodology
High-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, and polypropylene are considered the safest plastics. Many name-brand plastic bags are made with polyethylene and polypropylene. These types of plastic are resistant to the sub-boiling temperatures involved in sous vide cooking, and they are also considered safe in and of themselves:
Literally, sous vide means ‘under vacuum’. It’s a French method of cooking using immersion circulation. Food that’s been vacuumed packed is immersed in a water bath and slowly cooks to a precise level of doneness. Used by professional cooks and high-end restaurants for years, the advantages are considerable.
No Flames No Steam No Smoke
Sous vide differs from traditional cooking practices because the food never comes into contact with a heated metal surface. Instead the water bath is kept at the same temperature for the entire cook time.
Precise Temperature Control
The perfectly heated water never fluctuates in temperature and is in constant motion to ensure there are no hot or cool spots. The cooking progress is gradual and controlled and never exceeds the desired temperature.
What Does Sous Vide Food Taste Like?
The short answer is amazing. The sous vide process locks in flavours, natural juices and nutrition because the process prevents evaporation. Food never dries outs so flavour, texture and nutrition are all dramatically enhanced.
Nutrition Retention
Health and wellbeing are at the centre of everything we do at the Good Food Guide. When we discovered research proved sous vide cooking allows for the highest retention of nutrients compared to steaming or boiling we were sold.
Reduction of Food Waste
Sous vide reduces waste to a marked degree. Natural juices stay in the vacuum sealed bag so no need to buy products to supplement. Serving sizes ensure the ‘just enough factor’ whether serving a meal for 10 or a party of one. And, at the Good Food Guide kitchen all scrapes are repurposed, some go to pets, some to compose, some to stock, so no waste.
Food Safety
Sous vide foods are vacuum sealed in an airtight, food grade, non toxic bag reducing the risk of contamination.
Sous vide food is pasteurized slowly in a precise temperature controlled water bath until it’s evenly cooked to perfection. The taste, texture and nutritional value Sous Vide Sides provide cannot be achieved by other methods of food prep.
Is Sous Vide Sustainable?
We are committed to sustainable practices in everything we do. Preparing Sous Vide Sides may just be the ultimate sustainable experience. The process uses less water than traditional cooking and it’s the most efficient process to transfer energy to the food being cooked.
The vacuum bags are recyclable. And, just to be sure to we meet different regional recycling policies, they’re also biodegradable .
Did We Mention Convenience?
Sous Vide Sides removes the guess work and stress of juggling time variables and levels of doneness. Producing a more efficient workflow in your kitchen can be a big bonus when preparing meals. Less labour without extraneous steps or time sensitive procedures means you can focus on creative inner chef.
For example Sous Vide Sides in a salad or mixed to create an interesting accompaniment to your main or served in a comforting homemade soup. The ability to just open and warm means you create your version of a perfectly prepared meal within minutes.
All Sous Vide Sides are regionally sourced, always organic and made fresh to order. Cooked to their tender ideal, full of natural nutrients and melt-in-your-mouth flavour they help make every meal satisfying and healthy.
