Carey Copeling - The Effortless Sous Vide Cookbook 140 Recipes for Crafting Restaurant-Quality Meals Every Day

Copyright 2018 by Carey Copeling

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ISBN: Print 978-1-62315-981-8 | eBook 978-1-62315-982-5

contents

Sous Vide Time

Toast and takeout: That was the extent of my ability to provide basic sustenance for myself. In my youth, I was fortunate to have been fed extremely well by my highly talented mother, but after my first year in college, when the student residence meal plan ended, I was on my own. I ate poorly, without concern for nutrition, and I definitely was not a good cook.

Fast-forward 16 years, to when Chris, a friend and client of mine, posted on Facebook, If you like meat and fish, get an Anova sous videit will change your life. I was intrigued and within a few clicks had added it to my cart and clicked checkout. Initially, the sous vide was a gift for my then girlfriend, now wife, Mel, who was visiting her family in Sydney, Australia. When it arrived, my intrigue grew into childish curiosity and then became full-blown impatience. I couldnt wait for Mel to get back from her trip. I popped open the box, quickly justifying it by thinking that if I figured out how it worked, it would save some initial frustration that often comes with learning how to use a new kitchen gadget.

I always did enjoy grillingespecially steakand still do. After some quick research on the basics of sous vide cooking, I purchased a butcher-cut New York strip loin steak. Following a basic recipe, I liberally salted and peppered the beef, slipped it into a large resealable bag, and after a few attempts managed to get the air out of the bag using the water displacement method (dont worry, well come back to that later). I prefer medium rare, so I set the temperature at 129F (53.8C) and one hour and thirty minutes later, out came the steak. But this wasnt just any steak; it was the steak, the best steak Id ever made. I was hooked, and it was easy.

By the time Mel returned from Australia, I had cooked a dozen different mealschicken breast, asparagus, self-buttering corn on the cob, octopus, a rack of lamb, just to name a fewin a week. Im not sure if Mel knew it yet, but she came home to a changed man. In a few short weeks, I was cranking out really, really good meals. I was hosting dinner partiesyes, me, Mr. Toast and Takeoutand wowing my friends and family. One of my favorite things about cooking sous vide is that after youve prepared the dish and popped it in the water bath, youre able to join your guests and enjoy their company, confident that your creation is on track, cooking perfectly, and will turn out just as you expect. Yes, some foods take longer to cook sous vide, but what you get back is time with your family, your kids, to listen to music, read a book, enjoy a glass of 2007 Rioja, or whatever you want to do with your sous vide time while your meals cook to perfection.

Many of you are familiar with sous vide cooking, so you likely know that chefs all around the world have been using this cooking method for decades because it helps them manage large volumes of main or side dishes and variations of doneness. It also involves a less hands-on/eyes-on approach, which allows them to focus on some of the finer details that make up your meal. Until a few years ago, in-home sous vide appliances were cost-prohibitive, required large amounts of surface or counter space, and didnt come with any instructions on how to use them. Today, there are dozens of sous vide machines specifically designed for the home chef.

In this book, we are going to cover some adventurous recipes, but what really inspired me the most in the kitchen was taking the basics of a dish and making it my own. I love to travel, so Im exposed to cultural cuisines that, both literally and figuratively, get my creative juices flowing. I try to incorporate that into my sous vide recipes. I encourage you to experiment with your own recipes, mix in some cultural nuances, perhaps even tweak Grandmas secret recipes, and turn basic dishes into something incredibly delicious.

If youre reading this book, youve likely purchased a sous vide circulator and youre wondering, How do I get the most out of this thing? We are going to cover some basicsequipment, methods, and safety measures, to name a fewbut this book is really focused on pushing your sous vide skills further. Youll try some unique foods, some longer and more advanced recipes, and some new techniques to help you discover just how amazing sous vide cooking can be. The sous vide community grows larger every day, and with it will come new products, new recipes, and new applications for sous vide cooking. Ive learned a lot in the few years since