Sous Vide

June 17, 2019
Acheson writes with such charm that he can make warm water interesting—an invaluable trait for this survey of sous vide recipes and methods. Similar to his approach toward another single appliance (in The Chef and the Slow Cooker), here seafood, fowl, meats, soup stocks, fruits, and vegetables all have their turn getting sealed in plastic bags and dropped into a heated bath. Some 90 dishes include pickled oysters, rabbit stew, and spiced red wine–poached pears. Acheson shows his Canadian roots by adding a touch of maple syrup to the brine in his corned beef recipe, and his taste for Southern cuisine is represented with a relatively tame Nashville hot chicken. The consistent cooking temperature allows for such delicacies as a 63.5°C egg, the exact amount of heat needed to yield a yolk that is “soft and oozing” with a white that is “like a custard.” The process nearly eliminates the risk of overcooking, though foods that require browning or a char get some quality time with fire. Ground beef in the classic cheeseburger, for example, reaches medium-rare perfection after a half-hour soak, then gets a quick sear in a scalding cast-iron skillet. High-end cooking comes to the home kitchen in this fun, clear approach to a gourmet technique.

January 1, 2020

Canadian chef and restaurateur Acheson (The Bread Fork), owner of four Georgia-based restaurants, has mastered the technique of sous vide, the process of vacuum-sealing food in a bag, then cooking it to a precise temperature in a water bath. This latest work aims to help home chefs use this effective technique, which preserves vitamins and minerals. Acheson, a judge on Top Chef and an Iron Chef on Iron Chef Canada, begins with advice on equipment and basics, keeping budget in mind. While not meant to be exhaustive, this book includes a variety of recipes using the sous vide technique, including Nashville hot chicken. Other dishes with chicken, fish, lamb, fruit, and vegetables show the variety of foods that can be made using the technique. Simple dirSECTIONs and readily available ingredients are a bonus. VERDICT For the adventurous cook looking to expand their repertoire, this book offers plenty of recipes to try.--Ginny Wolter, Toledo Lucas Cty. P.L.

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