Tips for Sous Vide Cooking

Published on Friday, June 01, 2012

Written by Amelia Levin, Contributing Editor

While not a new concept, sous vide cooking remains an emerging approach for foodservice operators from all segments. A sous vide pro, Paul Anthony Fario, executive chef at Extra Virgin restaurant in Arlington, Va., shares a few lessons he has learned while implementing sous vide.

• Get the equipment you need to be successful. Some people who plan to do it regularly invest in sous vide immersion heaters. It's also important to have sealable bags, no matter how you do the cooking. There are special sous vide cooking bags available or many people choose to use Ziploc re-sealable freezer bags.
• It's ideal to cook all the food at the temperature at which it will be served. Typically, the temperature in sous vide cooking does not exceed 185 degrees F.
• Both the time and temperature will affect the outcome of the food served, so it is important to do a quick search on how long your items should cook.
• Always heat the water to the desired temperature prior to adding the bags of food that you will cook.
• Getting started in sous vide cooking, as in any new cooking method, takes time to learn and practice to get better. So keep practicing.