The Everything Guide to Cooking Sous Vide (11 page)

There is no reason for sous vide to be a fad, because everything about it screams that it should, in fact, be a revolution. Sous vide is easy to use and incredibly forgiving, considering that it is essentially impossible to overcook meat. Sous vide allows the home cook to create dishes that rival something that could be purchased at a restaurant, and it is not that hard to do. Sous vide can be used to create a wide range of food from succulent scallops to tangy pickles, or from a juicy steak to creamy vanilla anglaise. So, don’t miss out on all the benefits that come with this culinary technique. Join the sous vide revolution!

Chapter 5

Breakfast

The Perfect Egg

Using the sous vide water bath is a simple, foolproof way to cook eggs in the shell. Whether poached, soft-boiled, or hard-boiled, the sous vide can do it all!

Ingredients

Serves 1

1 large egg

1. Fill the water bath with water. Set your sous vide machine to the specific temperature based on the finished type of egg desired. Place the egg in the water bath and cook sous vide for 75 minutes.
   
2. The 144°F egg: The white is barely set and the yolk is runny. This is an ideal egg for udon or ramen noodles.
   
3. The 147°F egg: The white is firmer and the yolk is thick, creamy, and similar to pudding or custard. This egg is great for toast, hash, or eggs Benedict.
   
4. The 165°F egg: This is your standard hard-boiled egg. The white is hard but not rubbery and the yolk is fully set and crumbly. This egg is ideal for egg salad, deviled eggs, and potato salad.
   

Sweet Potato and Pork Belly Hash

With fried pork belly, sweet potato, and the perfect sous vide egg, this might just be the ultimate hash. There are a lot of steps, but it is so worth the work! For a more traditional hash you can substitute the sweet potatoes with white or yellow potatoes.

Ingredients

Serves 4

2 medium sweet potatoes

4 large eggs

¹
⁄
₂
pound
24-Hour Sous Vide Pork Belly
, diced (see recipe in Chapter 10)

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 medium green bell pepper, cored and diced

1 teaspoon sea salt

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Make-Ahead Options

Since there are three different things in this recipe that use the sous vide machine (sweet potato, pork belly, and eggs), it is possible to make both the sweet potatoes and the pork belly ahead. Cool the prepared ingredients in covered containers in the refrigerator until ready to use. That makes the actual assembly of the hash in the morning quite simple.

1. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   " cubes.
   
2. Fill the water bath with water. Set your sous vide machine temperature to 183°F.
   
3. Place the sweet potatoes in a food-safe bag and vacuum seal the bag. Make sure the cubes of sweet potatoes are in a single layer and not stacked.
   
4. Place the sweet potatoes in the water bath and cook sous vide for 1
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   hours. Cool in the fridge until ready to use.
   
5. For the eggs, set the sous vide machine to 147°F. Slowly drop the eggs into the water bath and cook sous vide for 75 minutes.
   
6. In a large skillet over medium heat, fry the pork belly, onion, and green pepper for about 5 minutes or until the pork belly starts to crisp and the onion and pepper are tender.
   
7. Stir in the sweet potatoes and continue to fry for another 7–9 minutes or until they start to become crispy. Add the salt, pepper, and parsley.
   
8. To serve, spoon some hash on a plate and crack an egg on top.
   

Hollandaise Sauce

Usually thought to be challenging to make, this sauce is super easy to make in the sous vide and just as delicious as when it’s made on the stovetop.

Ingredients

Makes 1 cup

4 large egg yolks

¹
⁄
₂
cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon lemon juice

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon sea salt

1. Whisk together all the ingredients (except the citric acid) in a small bowl.
   
2. Fill the water bath with water. Set your sous vide machine temperature to 150°F.
   
3. Pour the mixture into a food-safe zip-top bag. Slowly lower the bag into the water using the water displacement method; the air will escape from the bag. Continue to lower the bag until it is about 1" from being fully submerged. Once the bag has been lowered, zip it shut with your fingers.
   
4. Place the bag in the water bath and cook sous vide for 60 minutes.
   
5. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth and emulsified.
   

Eggs Benedict

Quick and easy to make, this indulgent dish is perfect for a weekend breakfast or brunch.

Ingredients

Serves 4

4 large eggs

2 English muffins, split

4 slices ham or Canadian bacon

Hollandaise Sauce
(see recipe in this chapter)

1. Fill the water bath with water. Set your sous vide machine temperature to 147°F.
   
2. Place the eggs in the water bath and cook sous vide for 75 minutes.
   
3. Toast the English muffins.
   
4. To assemble, spoon a little Hollandaise Sauce on all 4 toasted muffin slices and top with a slice of ham. Gently crack an egg on top and spoon some more Hollandaise Sauce over the egg.
   

Eggs Florentine

A variation of eggs Benedict, this recipe uses sautéed spinach instead of ham.

Ingredients

Serves 4

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups fresh spinach

2 English muffins, split

Hollandaise Sauce
(see recipe in this chapter)

Add a Little Salmon

Lift this recipe to another level by adding a thin slice of smoked salmon. The smokiness of the salmon perfectly complements the spinach and the egg.

1. Fill the water bath with water. Set your sous vide machine temperature to 147°F.
   
2. Place the eggs in the water bath and cook sous vide for 75 minutes.
   
3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, stirring often. Remove from heat.
   
4. Toast the English muffins.
   
5. To assemble, spoon a little Hollandaise Sauce on all 4 toasted muffin slices and top with some cooked spinach. Gently crack an egg on top and spoon some more Hollandaise Sauce over the egg.
   

Scrambled Eggs

Sous vide is quite possibly the greatest way to cook scrambled eggs. There is no need to hover over the skillet stirring; instead, just stick them in the water bath and they come out light, fluffy, and delicious.

Ingredients

Serves 2

4 large eggs

1
¹
⁄
₂
tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons heavy cream

¹
/
₈
teaspoon sea salt

¹
/
₈
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Double Up!

The recipe can easily be doubled and, if the water bath is large enough, you could prepare multiple batches at once. Each batch needs to be in a separate bag. This is an ideal way to make lots of scrambled eggs for a family holiday brunch.

1. Fill the water bath with water. Set your sous vide machine temperature to 167°F.
   
2. Place the eggs, butter, and cream in a small bowl and mix thoroughly with a whisk or immersion blender.
   
3. Pour the mixture into a food-safe zip-top bag. Slowly lower the bag into the water using the water displacement method; the air will escape from the bag. Continue to lower the bag until it is about 1" from being fully submerged. Once the bag has been lowered, zip it shut with your fingers.
   
4. Place the eggs in the water bath and cook sous vide for 20–25 minutes. Every 5 minutes, take the bag out of the water and massage it in your hands. Use a towel to protect your hands from the heat.
   
5. Spoon the eggs onto 2 plates and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
   

Asparagus and Prosciutto Scrambled Eggs

Featuring perfectly cooked, tender asparagus with light and fluffy eggs, this light breakfast showcases the wonderful results of sous vide cooking.

Ingredients

Serves 2

12 asparagus spears

1 teaspoon olive oil

4 large eggs

1
¹
⁄
₂
tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 slices prosciutto

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

¹
/
₈
teaspoon sea salt

¹
/
₈
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Trim the asparagus by snapping off the bottoms with your fingers.
   
2. Fill the water bath with water. Set your sous vide machine temperature to 180°F.
   
3. Place the asparagus and oil in a food-safe bag and vacuum seal the bag. Make sure the asparagus are lined up next to each other and are only 1 or 2 rows deep.
   
4. Place the asparagus in the water bath and cook sous vide for 12 minutes.
   
5. Leave the asparagus in the water bath and lower the temperature of the sous vide machine to 167°F and add enough cold water to quickly bring the water bath down to 167°F.
   
6. Place the eggs, butter, and cream in a small bowl and mix thoroughly with a whisk or immersion blender.
   
7. Pour the mixture into a food-safe zip-top bag. Slowly lower the bag into the water using the water displacement method; the air will escape from the bag. Continue to lower the bag until it is about 1" from being fully submerged. Once the bag has been lowered, zip it shut with your fingers.
   
8. Place the egg mixture in the water bath and cook sous vide for 20–25 minutes. Every 5 minutes, take the bag out of the water and massage it in your hands. Use a towel to protect your hands from the heat.
   
9. Remove the bag of asparagus from the water bath and wrap 1 prosciutto slice around 6 spears; place on a plate. Repeat with the second slice of prosciutto and 6 asparagus spears. Spoon some eggs on the asparagus. Top with Parmesan cheese and parsley. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
   

Breakfast Burrito

Go Tex-Mex in the morning! These burritos feature a full breakfast all wrapped up in a soft burrito shell.

Ingredients

Serves 4

4 large eggs

1
¹
⁄
₂
tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 large avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced

2 medium tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1 medium jalapeño pepper, cored and minced

1 medium lime, juiced

¹
⁄
₂
pound breakfast sausages

4 (8") soft flour tortillas

¹
/
₈
teaspoon sea salt

¹
/
₈
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Take These Burritos to Go!

Prepare the burritos, wrap them in aluminum foil, and they are an ideal breakfast treat to have on the go. Whether it is for the morning commute to work or the trip to school, these burritos are an awesome on-the-run breakfast.

1. Fill the water bath with water. Set your sous vide machine temperature to 167°F.
   
2. Place the eggs, butter, and cream in a small bowl and mix thoroughly with a whisk or immersion blender.
   
3. Pour the mixture into a food-safe zip-top bag. Slowly lower the bag into the water using the water displacement method; the air will escape from the bag. Continue to lower the bag until it is about 1" from being fully submerged. Once the bag has been lowered, zip it shut with your fingers.
   
4. Place the eggs in the water bath and cook sous vide for 20–25 minutes. Every 5 minutes, take the bag out of the water and massage it in your hands. Use a towel to protect your hands from the heat.
   
5. Make the salsa by mixing together the avocados, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime juice in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
   
6. Remove the sausage meat from the casings and cook in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and fully cooked, about 6–8 minutes. As the meat browns, use a wooden spoon to break it into small chunks.
   
7. Make the burritos by spooning the eggs equally into each tortilla and seasoning them with salt and pepper. Top with cooked sausage meat, salsa, and Cheddar cheese. Roll to close, and serve immediately.