Sho Spaeth is the lead writer and editor at ChefSteps.com. He is also the author of Homemade Ramen, a James Beard Award–nominated cookbook.

Sho Spaeth

Kyl Haselbauer has 20 years of experience working in fine-dining and modernist kitchens, including Bar Cotto and Anchovies &amp; Olives in Seattle. He is also the owner of Bright Spot, a café and coffee shop in Seattle.

Kyl Haselbauer

People often associate steaming with bland health foods, but it’s actually a good way to retain flavor. Take shellfish: If you boil a crab in a pot of water, the natural sugars and savory amino acids abundant in the meat leach out into the water and flavor it. This is great for stocks, but not, clearly, the best way to keep the crab meat as flavorful as possible. Our solution: steam it, but at a low temperature to avoid overcooking the delicate meat. The flavorful molecules, which are water soluble, aren’t nearly as affected by steam. An added bonus is that low-temperature steaming in a SousVide Supreme is both easy and fast. When water vapor condenses on the crab’s shell, it releases a tremendous amount of latent heat energy that quickly cooks the crab. The same concept applies to other meats and to vegetables, so think twice before you boil those carrots.

Low-Temp Cooking Dungeness Crab