Posts Tagged ‘sous-vide’
We celebrated our first anniversary in Seattle with dinner at Spur. We had a cosy evening at the gastropub during the miserable spring of last year and loved the experience. Located next to The Coterie Room, Spur is the original restaurant by Chefs McCracken and Tough.
The ambience was warm and bistro like. A narrow room is split into two, long communal tables on the right and individual tables on the left. Plush armchairs are at the entrance and the open plan kitchen is at the back. Mirror panes line the wall to create the illusion of space and illuminate the high ceiling.
The menu is categorised into seasonal and staples. In a nostalgic moment, we ordered the same dishes as we did nearly twelve months ago.
Pimm’s is a classic English liqueur and we sipped on a refreshing twist, the West Coast Pimm’s. Poured into a tall glass with lemon, cucumber, mint, basil and ginger ale, it was a fizzy beverage with a citrus bouquet.
Dotted with capers, a plump piece of sockeye salmon was atop pillowy mascarpone on a crostini. At four dollars each, they were appetising bites.
Cut in half and served with a mound of shoestring fries, the grass fed beef patty, red onion jam, cheddar and thyme were sandwiched in a buttery brioche bun. It was a juicy burger, the delicate sweetness of the red onion jam accentuated the savoury beef.
Parmesan foam, shaved Parmesan, glossy sous vide duck egg, finely sliced green onions, crunchy pine nuts, meaty oyster mushrooms and silky tagliatelle, my main was a delectable combination of textures and flavours.
We reminisced and reflected, making the time to pause over a delicious meal at the end of a hectic week.
When I was browsing the shelves at the Book Larder on their opening day I noticed a display copy of Modernist Cuisine. The bright white covers contrasted with the vibrant photos and the five volumes are slotted in a Perspex case. Curious about the influential tome, I attended Nathan Myhrvold‘s presentation at Town Hall Seattle.
Dr Myhrvold was an engaging speaker. A voracious intellectual, his passion was balanced with poise. He noted that there are many books on the science of cooking but not on techniques. There are specialty books on single techniques such as Thomas Keller‘s Under Pressure. The modernist chefs, Ferran Adrià, Grant Achatz and Heston Blementhal, all have cookbooks.
The intent of Modernist Cuisine is for it to be an encyclopaedia of modern cooking techniques. The project commenced six years ago and Dr Myhrvold compared it to the naïveté of parenting, ‘it seemed like a good idea’! The photographs and illustrations are all original and the volumes ‘explain the science of cooking in chef terms’.
Dr Myhrvold clicked through the slides and described how the photos were constructed. To innovate and discover a new approach, you need to understand physics.
A third of the wok was cut off and Perspex was glued to the open side. The lab was more ‘machine shop than Photoshop’. It caught on fire three times as the ingredients were tossed. ‘The motto was it has to look good for only one thousandth of a second!’
He worked on the book alone for two years and then hired a team of people to complete it. Volume one is history and fundamentals, volume two is techniques and equipment, volume three is animals and plants, volume four is ingredients and preparations, volume five is plated-dish recipes. An additional spiral bound kitchen manual is printed on washable paper.
Modernist Cuisine statistics:
* 6 volumes
* 4 languages
* 43 pounds unpacked
* 2438 pages
* 1.15 million words
* 4 pounds of ink to print
* 7.5 miles long if typed as a single sentence in Microsoft Word
* 147,000 photos shot and 3,200 used
* 1,500 recipes
* 72 contributing chefs
* 6 research cooks
* 44 writers, editors and art staff
Dr Myhrvold commented that Modernist Cuisine is available in the printed medium only. The resolution is compromised as an e-book or on the iPad. Eat Your Books has indexed Modernist Cuisine.
Modernism is an artistic and architectural movement. A deliberate break from tradition, it celebrates abstract values and is a rebellion against the norm. It is a new aesthetic. In the 1980s chefs were doing the same. Cooking techniques were re-imagined to create art in the kitchen. It is artisanal, a craft.
‘Science is a set of rules governing how our world works.’ Until recently food science was about industrial scaling. Science is already in the kitchen and Dr Myhrvold ‘wants take the ignorance out of it’. Modernist Cuisine is a definitive reference for techniques.
Modernist Cuisine principles:
* Dining in dialogue
* Creativity trumps tradition
* Break rules, surprise diners
* Be innovative
* Science and technology are sources of inspiration, means to an end
* Great food from great ingredients
* How ingredients are grown, harvested and slaughtered matter
* New ingredients create new possibilities
Modernist Cuisine dinners are long with more than thirty courses. ‘In a way it’s an ordeal!’ Dr Myhrvold described some of the dishes and how they were made.
The first was deep fried watermelon. Starch is the key to crispy potato chips. Sweet potatoes have less starch and their chips are a little limp. Watermelon was infused with starch for deep frying.
There are minimal desserts in the book. One recipe is pistachio and hazelnut ice cream without milk, cream and egg. The nuts are grinded, the oil separated and emulsified with water, and seaweed extract is added as a stabiliser. It is a ‘world first kosher real cream sauce’!
Next was pea butter. Dr Myhrvold told a ‘pea-ness’ joke with glee. Pea butter is made in a centrifuge where it clarifies and concentrates in intense gravity. He recommended frozen peas for freshness. The three pea layers are pea broth, pea solids which can be made into pasta, and unctuous pea butter. The technology highlights the natural ingredient, celebrating the essence of the pea.
A caramelised carrot soup is cooked in a pressure cooker. Caramelisation, a chemical reaction, occurs in an alkaline environment and thus baking soda is added. Beets, squash and other vegetables can be substituted and it is a ‘concentrated, powerful flavour’.
Every component of the ‘ultimate burger‘ is special. The patty is cooked sous vide, cryo-fried in liquid nitrogen and deep fried. The liquid nitrogen reduces the grey and freezes a thin layer on the outside penetrating all the ridges of the minced meat as a barrier to over cooking.
There is a chapter on coffee. ‘Damn it we’re from Seattle! Coffee from a three Michelin starred French restaurant is not fit for a Seattle street vendor.’ Dr Myhvold recalled ordering a coffee in New York and brashly declared ‘you’re from Seattle’. The barista replied, ‘Vivace‘.
He was asked what his last meal would be and he cheekily answered ‘one that takes a really long time to cook’. Another query was about the safety of sous vide pouches. He responded that if there are concerns you can sous vide in glass mason jars.
Dr Myhrvold has always been interested in food. When he was nine he cooked Thanksgiving dinner for his family. He was born in Seattle and returned before having children, ‘just like salmon’. He believes he is in the best part of the restaurant business, consumption!
- In: Cooking | Sweet recipes
- 2 Comments
Disclosure: I received a demo product from Duo PR. This is not a sponsored post.
I love desserts but rarely bake at home. A balance of precision and intuition, measurement and touch, it is both a science and an art. And I have neither the talent nor the patience to bake every week. When I do bake, I mostly make scones and biscuits (biscuits and cookies for Americans!), and sometimes banana bread.
Pears were in season and I bought a couple of Beurré Bosc pears with the SousVide Supreme Demi in mind. Sharone Hakman poached them in Zinfandel, dusted the halves with cinnamon and served them on a pillow of mascarpone at the SousVide Supreme event.
I followed this recipe for poached fruit. Simmer white wine (Domaine Cherrier Sancerre from Soul Wine), water, sugar and vanilla bean until the liquid reduces by half, and chill to thicken.
Peel, core and cube pears, and place into food grade plastic pouch. Pour in syrup and apply Archimedes’ principle to remove air from the pouch before zipping the seal. Cook in the water oven at eighty five degrees Celsius for twenty five minutes.
Perfumed by vanilla, the delicate flesh had an intense pear flavour that paired well with a scoop of ice cream.
I recommend using ripe fruit and adjusting the ratio of sugar in the poaching liquid, and pour yourself a glass of wine while preparing this non-baked dessert!
Disclosure: I received a demo product from Duo PR. This is not a sponsored post.
A dish that I’ve frequently reflected on from the Sharone Hakman and SousVide Supreme event is the eggs with asparagus and brioche croutons. The freshness of the ingredients was highlighted by cooking them sous vide, their essence presented on a plate.
The complimentary Lagana Foods campanelle from the Off The Menu dinner had a shelf life of two to three days. I followed this recipe for sous vide eggs and this recipe for carbonara for the pasta.
I was in a hurry to make a weekday dinner and the components were prepared and cooked in the time the eggs were in the SousVide Supreme Demi. I recommend using the freshest eggs as sous vide accentuates their flavour and colour.
The eggs are placed directly into the water oven without a food grade plastic pouch or vacuum seal. I experimented with different duration at the same temperature of sixty four degrees Celsius and the best consistency was cooking the eggs sous vide for forty minutes.
While the eggs were in the machine, I diced shallot, garlic and bacon, and sautéed them in olive oil with peas and chilli flakes. To serve, toss with pasta and toasted pine nuts, and crack a sous vide egg on top. Break the yolk and gently stir the egg through.
It was a simple yet delicious combination of quality ingredients, a versatile favourite!
Disclosure: I received a demo product from Duo PR. This is not a sponsored post.
I loved the convenience of the SousVide Supreme Demi. Any combination of protein, and dry or solid seasoning can be vacuum sealed in a food grade plastic pouch and cooked sous vide. A homely dinner can be prepared quickly with ingredients in the fridge and pantry.
I followed this recipe for sous vide steak. A slab of butter, bruised garlic cloves and sprigs of thyme were added to the sirloin sprinkled with salt and pepper.
The portions were submerged at sixty degrees Celsius for at least forty five minutes to cook the steak to medium. You can adjust the temperature to cook the steak to your preference.
With the sirloin steak in the water oven, I cut up vegetables for roasting, and caramelised onions and sautéed mushrooms for a sauce.
I skipped the final step of searing and served the sirloin sliced. The meat was buttery and tender, and a perfect medium.
The only limitation was cooking steaks to different levels of doneness but Mr S was happy to compromise.
Disclosure: I received a demo product from Duo PR. This is not a sponsored post.
I discriminate against the chicken breast. I grew up eating the tender meat of thigh fillets and drumsticks, and the tough, dry and bland breasts were relegated to soups or shredded for sandwiches. This makes the chicken breast perfect for cooking sous vide. Poaching food in a vacuum sealed pouch cooks it evenly and gently, retains moisture in the protein, and infuses the seasoning.
I followed this recipe for basic sous vide chicken and added tarragon. Although I’d be reluctant to have the machine on without me being home, it doesn’t require the supervision and vigilance of a stove. I sprinkled the chicken breasts liberally with tarragon, salt and pepper, vacuumed sealed each in individual bags, and refrigerated until two hours prior to dinner.
While the chicken breasts were submerged in 63.5 degrees Celsius, I chopped and sautéed vegetables for the accompanying risotto. The SousVide Supreme Demi is silent and does not emit heat. I lift the lid several times out of curiosity and steam fogs up my glasses.
The final step of the recipe suggests searing in butter until golden. I would have if I was using a skillet or pan for another part of the meal already but I wasn’t so I minimised dishwashing by skipping it. The chicken breast was tinged a pale pink and it sliced with ease.
Chicken and tarragon are a classic pairing and the fragrant herb lingered. It had a soft, yielding texture and was delectable with the slight crunch of the vegetables in the risotto.
The chicken breast is redeemed by sous vide!
Disclosure: I received a demo product from Duo PR. This is not a sponsored post.
Our kitchen is notoriously gadget free. No blender, no food processor, no stand mixer, no sandwich press, no coffee maker. And for many years, no kettle. A toaster is the only gadget on our counter. I attended the Sharone Hakman and SousVide Supreme event a couple of months ago and received a demo unit afterwards.
The poppy red SousVide Supreme Demi was conspicuous on our counter. A modern design with rounded edges, there are only five separate components to the machine. A detachable power cord, an aluminium lid, a perforated grill and a stainless steel rack can all be contained within the machine making it easy to assemble, store and clean. I read the instruction booklet once and the display panel is simple to use.
A vacuum sealer is required to cook sous vide and it’s similar size to a laminator. About the length of the SousVide Supreme Demi, it is light and the power cord can be wound up underneath.
The food grade pouch is placed on the vacuum sealer, clicked closed and either sealed if there’s liquid or vacuum sealed.
Sous vide and modernist cuisine have a reputation for elaborate, deconstructed dishes. I don’t intend to replicate or create restaurant quality food. My goal is to test how sous vide applies to ordinary home cooking.
The first meal I cooked sous vide was salmon. We rarely cook seafood at home as I have an aversion to the lingering smells. The benefit of vacuum sealed poaching is it eliminates that. I followed this recipe for salmon with lemon and dill.
I coated two fillets of salmon in olive oil, finely chopped dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper, vacuum sealed and refrigerated them. The pouches were cooked sous vide at fifty two degrees Celsius for twenty minutes. I served the fish with roasted vegetables. It took a little planning to time the heating up of the water, preparing the salmon and roasting the vegetables. If done in an efficient order, dinner would have been ready in an hour by my calculation.
The plastic bags were cut open and discarded which lessens dishwashing but they are not biodegradable. The salmon retained its shape and the dill remained bright green.
Cooked evenly to a pinkish hue, the salmon was flaky and succulent. The temperature of the protein cooled quickly so ‘serve immediately’ is important. It paired well with roasted vegetables, its varying textures contrasted with the uniformity of the salmon.
My first experiment with the SousVide Supreme Demi was a success!
- In: Belltown | Eating | Seattle | USA | Washington
- 3 Comments
coterie (co·te·rie) – noun
A small group of people with shared interests or tastes, especially one that is exclusive of other people.
A sister restaurant of both Tavern Law in Capitol Hill and Spur on the same block, The Coterie Room completes a trifecta of eateries by Chefs Brian McCracken and Dana Tough. Located in a corner brick building with dual street frontage, expansive windows let light inside as afternoon faded into twilight.
The dining room is simply decorated with slate coloured window frames, wooden furniture and pale walls. Its elegance is accentuated by a sparkling crystal chandelier and mirrors.
Our table was next to the living wall, a vertical planter box of cascading leafy greenery.
Categorised into small plates, main courses and family style, the menu features hearty fare. It was torrential rain outside and we were comforted by a glass of red wine, and a warm Grand Central Bakery rosemary and ginger roll with a pot of salted butter.
Our waitress kindly explained the sizes of the dishes and we agreed that we must return with a coterie of friends to sample more of the menu! We opted for three small plates and one family style to share.
First was sweet onion mac and cheese with duck ham. Served in a small graphite cocotte, the cute cast iron container of orecchiette was topped with crispy shallots. The al dente and creamy pasta was punctuated by morsels of duck ham.
The second small plate was marinated beets. I love the deep magenta colour of beetroot, staining your fingers as you cut into the bulb. Roasted beets have an intense earthy sweetness, perfect in a salad of peppery arugula, crunchy pistachios and a dollop of Cowgirl Creamery cottage cheese.
Four portions of golden buttermilk fried chicken were presented with a flourish. The drumsticks and thigh cutlets nestled on a mound of potato and bacon hash. A tuft of frisee salad was the requisite fibre. Caramel and glossy, a puddle of chicken gravy was soon absorbed by the hash. Cooked sous vide and then deep fried, the crunchy crust protects the juicy protein.
A side of heirloom baby carrots were bright batons coated in coriander butter and Taggiasca olive vinaigrette, and dotted with parsley.
The dessert menu was concise with only three items.
Mr S is partial to fruity desserts and ordered the pear sorbet with brown butter soil and roasted pistachios. The subtle flavour of the pear sorbet was highlighted by the slightly salty condiments.
Egg shaped cinnamon fritters were dusted with icing sugar and accompanied by a caramel apple dipping sauce. These fluffy treats were reminiscent of the zeppole at Tavolàta .
The rain had subsided and we left content with boxed leftovers.
- In: Capitol Hill | Eating | Seattle | USA | Washington
- 1 Comment
The same week of the Sharone Hakman and SousVide Supreme demonstration and tasting, Myra tweeted a Rue La La deal. I only had fried chicken in mind when I paid twenty five dollars for fifty dollars value in food and beverages at Tavern Law.
Twelfth Avenue on Capitol Hill was buzzing on a Friday evening. By the owners of Spur Gastropub, Tavern Law celebrates the history of the speakeasy during the prohibition era. A vintage typewriter greets us at the entrance and it’s a charming space within.
A mural of an elegant lady in a floral blue dress grace the wall and a roulette wheel hangs at the bar.
A built-in bookshelf and gilded mirror complete the décor.
In an effort to cool down and be presentable after the humid ascent, I sat inside and gulped glasses of water while waiting for Ms S.
I stared at the scratched vault door and wall mounted rotary dial telephone, pondering their purpose. After much squinting, I read ‘Needle and Thread’ on the framed sign. After observing several people lingering nervously by the phone, I realised Needle and Thread is Tavern Law’s homage to the speakeasy!
Ignoring the creased paper the food menu is printed on, I perused the extensive drinks booklet, appreciating the explanation of cocktail terms like sling and sour.
We moved to a table on the sidewalk to enjoy the beautiful late summer weather. The English gin fizz with Earl Grey infused gin, lemon and honey was a refreshing apéritif.
We ordered a plate of fried chicken each. It was a sight to behold – two golden crusted portions perched atop a bed of mashed potatoes. Cooked sous vide and then deep fried, the light and crispy skin protected the tender and juicy meat. The coating had a slight sweetness that balanced the savoury protein and creamy starch.
The service was a little haphazard, so much so that our bill was delivered without being asked about a second drink or dessert.
- In: Learning
- 5 Comments
Sous vide is synonymous with molecular gastronomy and modernist cuisine. I know the basic concept is to poach food in vacuum sealed bags at a controlled temperature for consistent cooking, to retain nutrients and enhance flavours.
But sous vide has always conjured an image in my mind of scientists in stained lab coats and oversized goggles, distilling and decanting between technicolour beakers, with evil intentions.
Thankfully the SousVide Supreme demonstration and tasting hosted by Myra was civilised!
Commercial sous vide machines are expensive and the SousVide Supreme was developed for the home kitchen. A local company, CEO Bob Lamson was optimistic that the seed has been planted for ‘Seattle to become the sous vide capital’ and to be at a leader of small appliances innovation, citing Nathan Myhrvold, Tavern Law and Crush as examples of Seattleites championing sous vide.
After much trial and error throughout the design and build process, the unit was rigorously tested by Heston Blumenthal before he launched it. The Fat Duck has more than seventy sous vide machines in its kitchen!
Bob extolled the quality of taste and texture of sous vide food, and stated that vegetables cooked sous vide is forty percent more nutritious than boiling and twenty percent more nutritious than steaming.
The water oven is easy to use and temperature can be set in Celsius (I still can’t convert °F!) or Fahrenheit. Ingredients and seasoning are vacuum sealed in pouches that can be prepared quickly, making it convenient and is also energy efficient.
There were many questions about what could be cooked in the SousVide Supreme. Meat, vegetables, fruits, stocks and cocktail infusions were all mentioned but the most decadent recipe was replacing the water with butter and cooking a whole lobster in it!
Bob shared with us an anecdote of a customer returning the product with a note declaring it the ‘worst deep fryer ever’. It’s not a Crock-Pot and it’s not a deep fryer! There is a perception that sous vide is complicated or hifalutin, and Bob was emphatic that it is scientifically proven to be a safe method of cooking.
Chef Sharone Hakman of MasterChef fame entertained us as he cooked a seven course tasting menu. He was engaging, amiable and knowledgeable. Sharone and the team from Duo Public Relations had been preparing the meals for several hours. We shared the dishes family style and there was an abundance of food!
Our first course was a refreshing wild hibiscus spritzer infused with raspberries and rose water.
The second course was wild king salmon with fennel, radish and turmeric butter. Succulent and flaky, the salmon was fresh and simple. Cooked sous vide and then braised, the wedges of fennel held its shape.
There were audible gasps when Sharone presented the 61 degree eggs, glossy and wobbling on a plate. A little jet lagged, I forgot to ask how the shells were peeled! The eggs were scooped on asparagus, drizzled with truffle oil and served with brioche croutons. Silky, crispy, crunchy, the textural combination was bursting with sunshine.
Chicken breasts were cooked sous vide and Sharone seasoned and seared them for presentation. Sliced and rested on pea purée and parmesan crisps, the chicken was tender and juicy. The highlight was the pea purée - vibrant in colour and taste, the sweetness contrasted with the salty cheese wafer.
Sharone displayed a tray of sous vide short rib with pride. The sliders are his favourite and the short ribs are marinated in his own brand of sauce, Hak’s BBQ.
Rich and sticky, the thick protein was tempered by the coleslaw. Perched on a stool far from the kitchen bench, I struggled eating this without making a mess! The chipotle bourbon sauce was scrumptious and I’m craving carnitas tacos with the gifted bottle of Hak’s BBQ sauce!
The final savoury dish was coffee and pepper crusted filet with fig infused Pinot Noir reduction.
Sous vide is ‘forgiving on the backend of cooking’ and the filet was evenly medium rare.
There was silent appreciation from the crowd as Sharone cut into each filet, the thick medallions of filet were a beautiful blush inside.
Rarer than I prefer my beef, I sampled a small portion and it pairs well with the fig and wine reduction.
As a child my mother would poach pears for me when I was ill. Warm and soft, they’re a healthy comfort food. Atop mascarpone, this adult version is poached in Zinfandel and dusted with cinnamon.
It was a fun, informative and delicious evening, learning and eating sous vide.
Sincere thanks to Myra Kohn for hosting, Bob Lamson for his insights, Sharone Hakman for his culinary expertise, and Duo Public Relations for organising.
