Sous vide is a precise, gentle method of cooking where food is placed in a water bath, protected by a food-safe, air-tight bag, and cooked at a controlled temperature. Cooking the food in a sealed bag locks in all the natural flavours and nutritional benefits and also makes for extremely fuss-free cooking. With Thermomix® capability to control the temperature in 1°C increments, total accuracy is achieved while blade cover protects the sous vide bags.
Tips for Sous Vide cooking
Sealing the bags: There are two ways – either manually by immersing heat-resistant zip-lock bags in water to remove the air, or by using a vacuum sealer. When it comes to choosing a method, base your decision on the recipe you’re preparing. If there are liquids in the bag, choose the water immersion method. The vacuum sealer method is most effective for recipes where there is no liquid in the bag.
For the water immersion method: Place the food in high-quality, zip-lock bags (not polythene bags). Look for bags made without BPA (Bisphenol A), they’re widely available from major retailers. Fill up a sink or large bowl with water and then seal the bag, leaving a gap in the seal of approx. 3 cm. Submerge the bag, leaving the open seal above the water. The pressure of the water will force the air out. Fully seal the bag before submerging completely to ensure all the air has been removed.
Clever prep: For the best results, cut your ingredients to roughly the same size and thickness. Season well and place in the bag or bags, laying the ingredients as flat as possible.
Flavour enhancing: Marinating tougher cuts of meat tenderises them while also enhancing their flavour. Add some of the marinade to the sous-vide bag and use the water immersion method to seal the bags for these types of recipes.