Sous Vide Project

By Emma Druitt

I will be creating, designing and presenting a sous vide food product that fits the required brief.

I will be testing and evaluating the product until the dish is completed to a high standard. I will then cook the finished dish for it to then be judged and assessed.

The finished product will then have the nutritional information calculated and a package designed that is appealing to customers.

Introduction

Timeline of Sous Vide1799. Sir Benjamin Thompson discovered Sous Vide

1960. The development of stable, high temperature, food safe plastic films were developed and made sous vide cooking possible.(1) American and French engineers started using Sous Vide

1967. George Pralus used Sous Vide to reduce shrinkage of Fois Gras.

Bruno Goussault researched different temperatures for Sous Vide

21st Century. Used around the world in production companies and restaurants.

What is Sous Vide?

The term Sous Vide is French for “under vacuum”.

It is a professional cooking method that uses a specially sealed and pressurised plastic bag (which holds the food) that diminishes the contact with aerobic bacteria.

The bag is then placed into a water bath at an accurately determined temperature which is kept constant by an immersion circulator.

It is then cooked in the water bath for a scheduled amount of time till the correct ‘doneness’ is reached.

The finished result is a product that is evenly cooked, isn’t dried out, has an amazing texture and flavour and enhanced health benefits.

What is Sous Vide?

The History of Sous Vide Cooking

The Beginning…..

Early Years: Sous vide is one of the oldest forms of cooking and started as

a form of cooking food at low temperatures in sealed vessels.

Found in China, Hawaii and Mexico the Early Civilisations used clay pots to simmer tough meats, cooked whole pigs underground and cornhusks were tossed into glowing embers. France used the cooking ‘en papillote’ where food was cooked in an envelope parchment which is still around today.

1799: Sir Benjamin Thompson first described the method as an

industrial food preservation method(1).

The Beginning…..

The Early Years

1960’s: American and French engineers discovered Sous Vide for food preservation. Stable, high temperature and food safe plastic bags/films were developed

which made Sous Vide possible.

1967: George Pralus was trying to reduce shrinkage of his Fois Gras terrine. He found

that buy sealing it in a plastic vacuum sealed bag and immersing it in water for a precise time and temperature, the shrinkage went from 40% down to 5%. He found that it cooked perfectly without losing fat and created a nicertexture whilst reducing on product loss.

He served this in his French restaurant “Troisgros”. Pralus has now taught many chefs around the world the art of Sous Vide.

Bruno Goussault: Another Sous Vide pioneer, he researched different cooking temperatures for different foods. He then trained chefs in this art and has helped food manufacturers develop food for sale.

20th Century

20th Century

1960

1967

George Pralus:

Bruno Goussault:

Foie Gras

Now selling SOUS VIDE

Food production companies have now embraced the art of Sous Vide cookery. With a new implemented HACCP plan, foods have been found to have a longer shelf life with a great transportation ability.

Sous Vide has also changed from the Haute Cuisine stage to more Casual Dining. Fast food and casual dining restaurants have started to use the Sous Vide technique in a “hope to ensure quality control and taste across their respective locations”(2).

It’s a cooking technique that has changed a lot through the years and with new safety procedures and more knowledge on Sous Vide, food sellers and suppliers are starting to realise the benefits. In the not so near future I'm certain that many of the food products available at the supermarket shelves will be Sous Vide due to the ease of use and effectiveness.

Sous Vide Today

There are so many Sous Vide products available now…..

Sous Vide Today

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Sous Vide For sous vide to work a Vacuum packer

and Thermal emersion circulator is needed.

Vacuum Packing Machines

Thermal Emersion – Sous Vide machines

From Sous Chef.co.nzPolyScience 18L bath. $161.00

From Sous Chef.co,nzPolyScience Sous Vide Creative Series. $572.87

From Sous Chef.co.nzPolyScience Sous Vide Professional. $1,274.99

From Contour Sales.co.nzDomestic Vacuum Packing. $150.00 From Contour Sales.co.nz

Benchtop Vacuum Packing.$389.99

Vacuum Packing. Vacuum packing has become a way that chefs in restaurants and

commercial food companies are using to pack their food goods.

Vacuum packing foods can: Reduce food wastagePrevent freezer burnMake food storage saferHelp with portion controlLower the cost of foodsAdvance food preparationSave time

> Food can be safely stored and increase the shelf life of some foods which saves money and time. These are valuable resources when in the food industry that is important to be aware of. It is hygienic and takes to time at all.

Food shelf life's extended due to vacuum packing

Stovetop or your faithful chilly bin!

Stove: The cheapest way to Sous Vide is on your stove. Using a thermometer and hot and cold water to help regulate the temperature you can achieve the sous vide results.

Chilly Bin: Another easy way to replicate Sous Vide. By using a thermometer to check the temperature and hot and cold water you can cook foods sous vide. The chilly bin helps to hold the heat and make it and effective and cheap use.

Advantages and Disadvantages of using the stove top or Chilly Bin

Advantages: Cheap, doesn’t require special equipment.

Disadvantages: Time consuming as you have to keep checking the temperature, Imprecise as the water temp will always be fluctuating and this can change your texture and ‘doneness’ of your foods.

Sous Vide Vegetables Usually it takes time to cook vegetables

till the inside of the vegetable is ready to eat. Sometimes vegetables can become over-cooked and mushy. Sous Vide cooks vegetables to a uniform ‘doneness’ and helps to hold your vegetables together.

Cooking Fish Sous Vide Fish usually has a short window of

‘doneness’. It can quickly go from undercooked to overcooked in a few minutes. Using Sous Vide you can eliminate this by setting the temperature and time so that the flavours develop, the fish is perfectly cooked and a unique texture develops. (58-62oC)

Cooking Meat Sous Vide Half the meats we cook are usually tough;

shank, shoulder, tongue and hearts. We usually cook these by braising or roasting but this can cause the meat to dry out. But when cooking meat Sous Vide you can avoid the meat from drying out by setting the correct temperature and time you can cook your meats to tender, medium rare cuts. This can not occur with traditional cooking methods. (60oC)

Future TrendsChef’s have come a long way from the reliable fire and pot to the sous vide machine and even using fish tank bubble machines to aerate sauces. Even though sous vide has taken over many companies and restaurants sous vide will stay and help with cooking some foods such as eggs and some meats but in the end the reliable heating of a pan on a stovetop will prevail. People like things that work and if it works why change it? This is what Sous Vide will have to contend with as the years go on.We may even see the rice cooker, crock pot and sous vide machine merge to create an easy leave, heat and eat type of foods that save time.I still think that Sous vide is a great cooking method and there are certainly many chefs and other well-known people that stand by it. Seeing if Sous Vide is a trend or will morph into something technical will be seen in time.

Stakeholders Will Mulders: He taught us some techniques of sous vide

and how to cook sous vide products from fish and chicken.

Watties: As they used ‘Risotto’ as an example for product development. As they develop food products some findings that we could find during our investigation could help them in further products.

Tutors: Because they are constantly learning from their students :D

Students: If anyone is interested in Sous Vide or want to learn more about the technique then our research can help them understand and give them advantages and disadvantages.

Negatives of Sous Vide

Positives of Sous Vide

References Amanda Hesser (2005-08-14). "Under Pressure". The New York Times.

Carey Polis (2012-07-10). “How Sous Vide Went From Haute Cuisine To Casual Dining”. The Huffington Post.

http://gizmodo.com/5461100/sousvide-supreme-review-how-to-cook-from-the-inside-out

http://www.hospitalityinfocentre.co.uk/Food%20Production/Sous%20Vide.htm

http://dessertcomesfirst.com/archives/800/

http://tigertailfoods.com/wp/

http://www.understanding-medical-conditions.com/healthy-diet-foods.html

http://bingeeatingtherapy.com/2010/12/28/top-ten-foods-to-always-have-in-the-house/

Ceserani and Kinton. Hodder Education, Britain 2012.”The Theory of Catering”.

http://www.culinaryinnovations.co.uk/orved-vacuum-packers-faqs.html#work

http://www.cookingsousvide.com/info/sous-vide-equipment

(1) http://www.techne-calibration.com/adminimages/Sous_Vide_Information(1).pdf

http://www.souschef.co.nz/

http://www.contoursales.co.nz/

My Sous Vide Dish

Evaluation 1 Sous Vide Curry and

Rice

Evaluation 2 Sous Vide stuffed chicken served with savory potatoes, cranberry chutney and orange infused

carrots

Evaluation 3 Sous Vide stuffed chicken served with savory

potatoes, honey glazed cranberrys, orange infused carrots, brown jus and a nut and bacon crumb with

micro-greens

Evaluation 4 Sous Vide stuffed chicken served with rice pilaff

embellished with a bacon nut crumb, orange infused carrots, honey glazed cranberrys and brown

jus