If you are interested in cooking and would like to look at inspiration programs with Nigella, Jamie Oliver or Swedish master chefs, you have probably heard of sous vide. But what is it really? And why is it so “inside” right now? We go to the bottom of these questions.
What is sous vide?
The word sous vide is French and means “under vacuum”. It is a cooking method that was actually first described as early as 1799, but which disappeared in the noise of history and was rediscovered in the 1960s.
The method is that the food is packed in an airtight plastic bag and cooked in a water bath or steam at a constant, even temperature. The food is cooked at a lower temperature than normal, typically between 55 ° C and 60 ° C. Therefore, it also takes longer – up to 96 hours for some dishes – but in return the result is fantastic.
Why should you cook sous vide?
Sous vide is basically about temperature control. It is particularly well suited to fish and meat dishes that are difficult to get absolutely perfect in traditional cooking. A moment’s inattention can ruin the single-cooked piece of meat in the frying pan while giving you significantly more time when choosing sous vide.
Another advantage is that the low temperature prevents the destruction of proteins and vitamins in the food and that the food becomes dry. In addition, if you put spices in the bag together with the food, these are absorbed better than with normal cooking.
And because the bag is air- and waterproof, it ensures that all the flavors and scents close in so that you get a more concentrated taste experience.
Sous vide – the new cooking trend
The fact that sous vide has become extremely popular right now may possibly be linked to two other strong food trends: slow food and the desire to eat healthier. It is probably related to the fact that sous vide is slow food by essence and that the cooking technique preserves vitamins and nutrients better than regular cooking.
That sous vide is also relatively simple but at the same time gives an unbeatable gastronomic result is surely also a factor behind so many now trying to cook sous vide themselves.
Be careful about safety when cooking with plastic bags
Most of the plastic used for cooking is harmless, but avoid buying cheap plastic bags that are not designed to heat up. Namely, they may contain harmful substances that enter the food due to the long cooking time.
