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Sous vide cooking is a decadent way to cook food. It’s not new, but it has grown in popularity over the last few years.
There are many advantages to cooking with this method, including how even heat distributes throughout the food and how you can prepare dishes ahead of time before finishing them at the last minute to your liking.
The sous vide precision cooker is an electric device that heats up water for use in cooking.
They come equipped with a clip or clamp that allows you to attach it securely to any pot or container, so you don’t have to worry about spilling your water as you go from stovetop to oven and back again.
You can also set timers on these devices to know your food is ready when you are.
One thing that can make this tricky for beginners is figuring out how to correctly use a sous vide cooker. The best place to start with using one of these devices: the instructions.
Every single sous vide wand comes with its own set of directions, and they’ll likely be quite detailed about things like how to use it on different types of pots and what not to do while cooking with it.
It’s important to familiarize yourself with all of these guidelines before you try using one in the kitchen because otherwise, you may end up boiling water inadvertently over an open flame or overheating your food in some other way.
You can also learn more by doing some research online and reading articles about this unique style of cooking and how to use the wand.
If you are ready to get started, there are a few simple points to keep in mind when using your sous vide wand:
- Make sure your pot is completely dry before attaching it to the wand, so water doesn’t splash out as you turn on the device.
- If all of this is new to you and the idea of using a sous vide machine seems intimidating, start with something easy like meat or fish wrapped in plastic bag or aluminum foil. As long as it has one side open for heat exchange, it will work fine. It might seem weird if you’re used to grilling a pork chop or chicken breasts outside, but you’ll get the hang of it.
- Don’t leave your food in the water too long — this is where the timer comes in handy!
- It also helps to undercook slightly when using a sous vide wand so that things finish cooking through at the last minute with heat from an oven or stovetop.
Remember home cooks: your meat will continue cooking after it comes out of the water.
As with most new kitchen tools, experimenting is key for getting comfortable using a sous vide wand.
Once you master how to use one correctly and start seeing what kinds of recipes you can make with them (everything from appetizers to main courses), you may never want to cook without it again.
What Is Sous Vide Cooking?
It uses a lower cooking temperature control than traditional cooking methods, with the idea of using moisture from inside the foods themselves to heat up and cook them instead of exposing the food directly to high amounts of heat, which can dry out the food.
This makes it an ideal cooking method for those who want consistent, perfectly cooked meals without having to watch over their pans or keep adjusting their stove’s temperatures.
What Are Sous Vide Wands?
One product that helps make sous vide possible is a water wand, also called immersion circulators. These work by circulating water through a hose and around whatever food you cook, usually within a pot or tub.
Most of these wands have built-in thermostats that can be set to specific temperatures, ensuring your food is cooked to the exact settings you want.
This wand itself features a main handle and an extended piece with a time and temperature dial at the end and a rounded hole in the middle.
There are two ways you can use this sous vide wand depending on what kind of water container you plan on cooking with:
Sous Vide Method in Water Container
If you are using traditional pots or containers for cooking, fill with water and place the immersion circulator upside down into the center of it.
Turn it on so that it begins to circulate through the hose; once bubbles begin coming out around it, seal your plastic bags using the zip lock or vacuum sealer.
Place the sealed freezer bag in the water bath and submerge them to whatever temperature you want using a thermometer.
The main handle is designed to serve as a weight for your bags, so they stay submerged; just make sure not to add too much water into the pot.
One huge benefit of this method, especially when using traditional pots, is that you can cook in larger portions without worrying about heating up large amounts of water.
Sous Vide Method Free Standing in Water Container
If using freestanding water containers like plastic tubs, place the sous vide wand inside uncovered and turn on your heat source – stovetop or otherwise.
Once boiling begins around it, seal your plastic bags and place them into the tub. You may need to use a weight to not float to the surface, although this is less of an issue when using plastic tubs than traditional pots.
The main handle can also be used as a weight, but it isn’t designed with that purpose in mind; make sure it doesn’t touch or wrap around your bags, so they don’t melt against it.
This method allows you to control monitoring the desired temperature since you can see what is going on inside the water container.
It also makes cooking larger batches of food easier since you do not have to worry about heating up the entire volume of water when using large amounts of food and vice versa for small batches where you would not need as much water.
Popular Dishes Made With A Sous Vide Wand
Once you have mastered cooking with a sous vide wand, you can start creating all kinds of recipes. Some of the most popular uses for this method are for making steak or other meats and eggs, fish, and vegetables.
There are many ways to use it, but one key tip is not to overcook any of your foods – since they cook at such low temperatures, it doesn’t take long before they reach the temperature you want;
If anything, extend the time spent in the water just a bit so that it’s more cooked than less. You will be amazed by how good everything tastes once it’s done!
Sous Vide Steak Tips
If you like medium-rare steaks, then getting a sous vide is definitely something worth considering; once cooked, you will not be able to tell the difference between a steak cooked in a pan and cuts of meat cooked using this method.
It really is impressive how good it makes your food taste!
Sous Vide Egg Bites
These egg bites are one of the most popular ways to use a sous vide wand. You will need four eggs, 2 oz of Spanish chorizo sausage, and 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese for this recipe.
You can experiment with different types of cheeses, meats, and vegetables, but these ingredients work well together and have proven to be very popular whenever they are served.
Sous Vide Salmon Fillets
For these salmon bites, you will need about 3/4 lb of salmon fillet cut into cubes along with some oil, salt, and pepper for seasoning; serve them with lemon wedges if desired on top.
The cooking time varies depending on how thick your fillets are, so once done, cook them for just a couple of minutes in the pan to make sure they are cooked all the way through.
Sous vide is a fun method to cook with; it’s not only extremely easy to use but also produces some of the best tasting foods you can imagine. It takes a bit of time for food to get done, but they are tender and taste delicious once cooked!
One of the most convenient things about using this method is that once the food is cooked with it, you will be able to get creative with how to prepare and serve everything;
For example, if making fish or eggs, just remove them from the bag and fry, sauté or otherwise heat up to eat.
If you want something larger like steak, all you need to do is sear your meat after taking it out of its bath before putting it into a serving dish.
This helps retain its juices better than searing beforehand, which makes your food even tastier! It’s a good thing that there are many ways to use a sous vide wand so you can cook with it in almost any situation.
