Any hints on sous vide cooking?

[venator]

Just bought a vacuum sealer and would like to try sous vide, but put off by very high price for what appears to be a simple water bath with a fancy thermostat.

Can anyone suggest an alternative?

Any hints on sous vide / vacuum sealing would be welcome...

[venator]

True, Eddie, but it's just now being splashed by the TV chefs, notably Heston.

I've just looked at his book, and he cooks at either 50 or 60 degrees.

no two pieces of meat are precisely the same weight,thickness or composition, so I can't see how they both need exactly the same temperature within .1 of a degree for the same time.

I think I can smell that stuff you just mentioned!

I'm going to give it a go with the induction plate, and will post the story of triumph or horror in due course!

Incidentally, Heston suggests cooking sous vide, then freezing and reheating in the bag!!!

[humbersloop]

Can you do us some sous vide gruel o pope??

Personally I'm deeply sceptical about the whole thing. I mean, 72 hours with 1 degree of cooking tolerance - purleez! Sounds like the ruination of a decent blue steak to me.

[tonyav]

Not if it's Porterhouse Blue, Hippychick.

[humbersloop]

Mornin' tone. What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?

Or a slow cooker?

[tonyav]

Nothing at all, peace and love to all Men and Women especially my loverly Hippychick.

[venator]

How long should I cook bananas and leeks?

Perhaps Sloopie could dangle some in vacuum sealed bags behind the ship (boat?) for a couple of weeks at sea temperature and report back?

[humbersloop]

Hang on a minute Ven,

//Heston suggests cooking sous vide, then freezing and reheating in the bag!!!//

Think someone's got the drop on him for that one -
http://www.thebushcra...main-meals-1035-p.asp

For the economy version then, stick to the slow cooker proposal. If attempting dehydrated food, buy a decent hairdryer.

Beer hung over the side in a wire shopping basket chills very nicely actually :D

I'll spare you the process for food smoking...

[tonyav]

Those things you get in hotel bathrooms ( you know those things for washing your feet in ) are good for cooling can's of beer. Used one many times on Holidays gets red hot in Spain lol.

[humbersloop]

Washing your feet tony? Feet?? :)

Also Ven, there's an economy slow roast method too. We call it En Gardner, or Entre Perkins

http://www.wikihow.co...-on-Your-Car's-Engine

Sshh, Heston doesn't know about it yet...

[tonyav]

LOL.

[humbersloop]

The Manifold Destiny cookbook is a cult classic.

[venator]

LOL sloopie - I can see Heston installing a big diesel in his kitchen...

The real exponents of boil in the bag are 3663, whose wagons you see outside the best restaurants

http://www.3663.co.uk/

[venator]

Here's another link

http://www.independen...e-britain-448238.html

[humbersloop]

Good grief!

Their featured Ebikatsu Japanese Prawn Burger looks like the sort of stuff you'd hurl into that thing tony uses for washing his feet in

[venator]

Yum!

[tonyav]

Put a Kipper on ya engine humber, that's always good for a laugh !.