Chefsteps Improvised Sous Vide—Running Water Method

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Ingredient

Quantity

Yield

Timing

Equipment and Materials

Optional Equipment and Materials

1

Place the food to be cooked sous vide into a Ziplock-style bag.

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2

Add oil to coat the product. This is optional, but if you are including multiple portions in a single bag, the oil will help prevent them from sticking to one another.
Here, we're using olive oil as a marinade that will infuse the lamb with the aroma of rosemary.

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3

Fill a container—or even your entire sink—with hot water.
Adjust the temperature from your faucet to achieve the desired temperature.

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4

• Optional: You can insert a probe thermometer to measure the core temperature of the food and monitor the progress of cooking.

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5

Submerge the bag into the water, using water displacement to force out the air from the bag.
Optional: Use a study paperclip to hold the bag to the side of the bath.

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6

Periodically check the temperature of the water surrounding the food.
If you are using a small amount of water relative to the food, you will need to add hot water from time to time to maintain the intended cooking temperature.

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7

When the food has finished cooking remove it from the bath. When is it done? This can be judged by either a known cooking time based on experience, or by measuring the core temperature of the food with a thermometer if you're uncertain.

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8

Remove the product from its packaging.

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9

Finish as required, such as pan-roasting, and serve promptly.

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Salmon and albumin

My family really only like salmon cooked sous-vide in oil, we also don't really have much access to good seafood in Denver unless you pay an arm and a leg.

I've done quite a bit at 50C as well as much shorter cook time at 57.5C. Is brining the best way to get rid of the albumin, if so is a typical 6.4% brine what should be used? And for how long?
Johan Edstrom

So-called albumin protein is mostly a function of cooking temperature more than anything else. Worth trying 113 °F / 45 °C to see what you think of that temperature, you will certainly see less albumin percolating to the surface of the flesh.

Adding salt via a brine tends to help retain juices in the flesh—for complex reasons that I hope to explore in a future course—and so at any given temperature you'll see less juice percolate to the surface, which means you'll see less albumin.

Have you checked out the salmon 104 °F recipe on our course page?
Chris Young

I love Salmon, Sushi first!! :) I have always Cedar Planked my salmon and have love the results. Now that I have seen the 104F video, I am going to have to give it a try.
Allen Johnson

@Johan, 43C is my favourite temp too, as 40C is barely warm once it gets served. Have the same problem in UK too with fish, salmon is great, but good seafood here costs a bomb!
Grace