Simply sous vide

Once a trick used by pros, sous vide (pronounced sue-veed) is a cooking technique that utilises precise temperature control to deliver consistent, restaurant-quality results. High-end restaurants have been using sous vide for years to cook food to the exact level of doneness desired, every time.

Sous vide, which means "under vacuum" in French, refers to the process of vacuum-sealing food in a bag, then cooking it to a precise temperature in a water bath. This technique produces results that are impossible to achieve through any other cooking method.

In traditional methods of cooking, you don't have control over heat and temperature. With precise temperature control in the kitchen, sous vide provides the following benefits:

Consistency: As you cook your food to a precise temperature for a precise amount of time, you can expect very consistent results.

Taste: As meat cooks in its juices, it is moist, juicy and tender and more appealing. As food is vacuum sealed in a sous vide bag, it doesn't dehydrate or lose its form while cooking. The original weight, flavour and natural colour and aroma is not lost. It also means you can use cheaper or forgotten cuts of meat to greater effect!

Healthy: Due to the enhanced flavours of sous vide food, little or no additional salt or fat is needed during cooking. Plus, vacuum sealing the food means that vitamins and minerals are not lost during the cooking process.

Waste reduction: Traditionally prepared food dries out and results in waste. Traditionally cooked steak loses up to 40% of its volume as it dries out.

Flexibility: Precision cooking brings food to an exact temperature and holds it. There is no worry about overcooking.

Mahesh Padala
(The author is executive chef, Bengaluru Marriott Hotel)