Intro to Sous Vide Cooking

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ChefSteps

Joule® Turbo Sous Vide

Ruler(s)

1/4 Sheet pan(s)

1-gallon Ziplock-style freezer bag(s)

10-inch Nonstick skillet

Fish spatula

Salmon fillet(s)

Kosher salt

Sugar

Neutral oil

Black pepper

Heat sous vide water bath to desired temperature according to our doneness guide.

[f 104]: Soft and buttery
[f 113]: Delicate and juicy
[f 122]: Tender and silky (our favorite)
[f 131]: Very firm and flaky

Heat sous vide bath

Using a ruler, measure thickness of salmon fillets (thickness determines sous vide cook time). Place salmon fillets on cutting board, skin-side up. Using a sharp knife, make several parallel shallow incisions about 1/4-inch apart, just so your knife edge cuts through the skin but not the flesh underneath. The cuts should extend from edge to edge of the skin. This step is optional, but it will help the skin get nice and crispy when you sear. Transfer fillets to a 1/4 sheet pan or plate.

Score skin (optional)

In a small bowl, combine salt and sugar and stir until well combined. Sprinkle mixture evenly over salmon fillets, coating with an even layer on all sides. Let sit until fillets release moisture and firm up, about 10 minutes. Rinse fillets under cold water, making sure to get rid of any residual salt mixture. Pat fillets dry with paper towels.

Dry-cure salmon fillets (optional)

If you skipped the optional dry-cure step, season fillets with salt and pepper on all sides (otherwise season only with pepper). Place fillets and 30 g oil in a 1-gallon ziplock-style freezer bag or vacuum-seal bag, and turn fillets in bag to evenly coat with oil.

Seal bag using water displacement method or vacuum sealer.

Bag fillets

Lower bag into sous vide bath until fillets are fully submerged, and clip to side of water bath container.

Cook, following our timing guide for salmon fillet thickness.

1/2 inch / 1.3 cm: 30 minutes
1 inch / 2.5 cm: 40 minutes
1 1/2 inches / 3.8 cm: 1 hour

Once cooked, fillets can be held in sous vide bath for 15 minutes without any loss in quality.

Cook salmon sous vide

Carefully remove fillets from bag and transfer to a paper towel–lined plate or tray. Gently pat dry.

In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat remaining 15 g oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add fillets to pan, skin-side down, and cook, undisturbed, until skin is crispy, about 2 minutes.

Sear skin

If you don’t have a nonstick pan and are worried about salmon skin sticking, don’t fret! Slide a piece of parchment paper between the fish and the surface of your trusty skillet, and everything will turn out just fine. Check out our parchment paper trick for the full rundown on this technique.
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Using parchment paper to sear skin-on fish fillets guarantees crispy fish skin that won’t ever stick to the pan.

Tips & Tricks: How to Get Perfectly Crispy Fish Skin, Every Time

No nonstick? No problem. Use parchment for perfect crispy fish skin

Using a fish spatula, transfer fillets to a paper towel–lined plate, flipping them so skin side is facing up. Transfer fillets to individual serving plates and serve.

Serve

Salmon is Seattle’s spirit food—it’s impossible to live here and not be obsessed with this pink-fleshed, flavor-packed fish. Hearty yet delicate, a lovingly prepared salmon fillet always feels like something special, even in the Pacific Northwest, where it’s considered everyday eating.Unfortunately, salmon, like all fish, is easy to overcook using conventional cooking methods. Cook salmon sous vide, however, and you have total control over the cooking process. Slip the fish into a bag, drop the sealed bag in a temperature-controlled bath—we like to cook the salmon to [f 122]—and the gentle, consistent heat ensures the fillets come out gloriously pink, perfectly cooked from edge to edge, with an inimitable, fork-tender texture.Once it’s done cooking sous vide, blot the skin dry and crisp it up with a quick sear—<a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/guides-tools/parchment-paper-crispy-fish-skin">on parchment</a>, if you’re worried about sticking—and you’ve got a picture-perfect piece of salmon that tastes even better than it looks. Serve it over a <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/recipes/simple-colorful-kidney-bean-side-salad">kidney bean salad</a> and <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/recipes/creamy-cauliflower-puree">creamy cauliflower purée</a>, or a <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/recipes/grilled-fennel-salad-with-preserved-lemon-dressing">grilled fennel salad</a> if you’re feeling summery, for the best weeknight dinner ever.

Sous Vide Salmon