Are you looking for an exciting way to pack more favour into your cooking or to bring more control to your dishes? If you aren't cooking sous-vide in your commercial kitchen, now might be the time to start if the answer is yes to both of these questions.
In this blog post, we'll dive into sous-vide cooking, exploring the advantages of this technique, mouth-watering recipe ideas perfect for sous-vide and how the iVario Pro takes it to the next level.
Sous-vide cooking is a modern culinary technique that involves cooking food in an airtight bag immersed in a precisely controlled water bath. The food is cooked at a low temperature for an extended period, ensuring it's cooked evenly while its flavours and moisture are retained. Compared to traditional cooking methods, this method provides complete control over the cooking process, resulting in consistently high-quality dishes. The gentle cooking method also breaks down meat's tissue, producing mouth-watering and tender dishes.
With its precision, you can confidently create perfect dishes every time, which for restaurants is vital as this consistency helps with customer loyalty, as they can rely on your restaurant to deliver quality dishes every time. Additionally, the sous-vide technique allows food to be cooked in advance and then quickly reheated when needed, reducing customer wait times.
1. Sous-Vide Steak
A classic dish that always promises to deliver perfectly cooked steak. Simply season your steak with salt and pepper, vacuum-seal it and cook it in a water bath at 130°F for 1-3 hours. Once done, sear the steak on a hot skillet or grill for 1-2 minutes per side for a crispy and caramelised crust.
2. Sous-Vide Salmon
Season your salmon fillets with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil, then vacuum-seal them and cook them in a water bath at 125°F for 30 minutes. Once done, remove the fillets from the bag, pat them dry with a paper towel, and sear them on a hot skillet for 1-2 minutes per side.
3. Sous-Vide Crème Brulee
Yes, you read that right. You can even use sous-vide cooking to make creamy and decadent desserts like Crème Brûlée. Simply mix together cream, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract, then pour the mixture into small mason jars or ramekins. Vacuum-seal the jars and cook them in a water bath at 176°F for 60 minutes. Once done, chill the jars in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Finally, sprinkle sugar on top of each jar and torch it until you get a crispy and caramelised layer.
The RATIONAL iVario Pro offers several features that simplify sous-vide cooking. One of the critical features is the precise temperature control. The iVario Pro can maintain temperatures within 0.5 degrees Celsius, making it easy to cook food to your desired level of doneness.
Additionally, the iVario Pro has a large cooking capacity, allowing batch cooking. Also, with a simple interface, you can set the desired temperature and cooking time with just a few taps. Finally, the iVario Pro is not just for sous-vide cooking; it's versatile, with the ability also to fry, roast, and bake so that you can cook multiple dishes at once!
Sous-vide is commonly used for cooking meat and fish, but chefs have discovered additional ways to utilise this technique. For instance, you can make eggs with a perfectly set white and runny yolk. Potatoes, another example, cook exceptionally well with sous-vide, and vegetables, such as asparagus, can be cooked precisely for salads or sides.
There's more to this technique than just cooking meats, and RATIONAL's iVario Pro is the perfect cooking system for sous-vide cooking and much more! Get in touch to find out more.