Sous Vide: Beyond the Basics

Ben Johnson

Joule® Turbo Sous Vide

10-inch Nonstick skillet

Silicone spatula

Fine-mesh strainer

High-precision digital scale

Breville Super Q™

Digital instant-read thermometer

8-ounce Wide-mouth mason jar(s)

Jar lifter

Bacon

Onion(s)

Shallot(s)

White port

Madeira

Apple brandy

Chicken liver

Egg(s)

Kosher salt

Prague powder #1

Black pepper

Sweet Spice

Unsalted butter

Heat sous vide water bath to [c 68].

Heat sous vide bath

Combine bacon, onion, and shallots in a 10-inch skillet. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally until fat is rendered and onion and shallots are soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.

Sweat bacon, onion, and shallots

Add port, Madeira, and apple brandy, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. 

Remove from heat, and let rest for 10 minutes to infuse flavors.

Add white port, Madeira, and apple brandy

Strain reduction through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl or container and, using a spatula, press down to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. You should wind up with about 150 g of liquid.

Strain

Transfer 150 g strained liquid (from Step 4) to jar of a countertop blender along with chicken livers, eggs, salt, Prague powder, pepper, and Sweet Spice. Blend on high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.With blender running, drizzle in butter in a steady stream, and continue blending, making sure mixture doesn’t heat up over [f 113], until mixture is smooth and emulsified, about 2 minutes. Turn off blender and, using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the blender jar. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, about 1 minute longer.Strain mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large liquid measuring cup, using spatula to help push purée through strainer.

Blend

When blending the pâté base, it’s important to keep the mixture from heating up over [f 113]. Once the mixture reaches that temperature, it’ll start to thicken and trap more air during blending. The more air that’s incorporated into the mixture, the more likely it’ll be that air bubbles will form in the pâté once the base is cast into jars.

If you’re using a powerful high-speed blender and follow the blending times closely, the mixture should not exceed that temperature. If you’re using a less powerful blender, use an instant-read thermometer to monitor the temperature as you’re blending. If the mixture exceeds [f 113], take extra care when tapping the Mmason jars to try to remove as many air bubbles as possible, as any air pockets will encourage oxidization and decrease the (refrigerated) shelf life of the pâté.

Monitoring temperature while blending

Although this recipe will work without degassing, taking this step will help you create a much more attractive pâté.

Use a kitchen torch or chamber vacuum sealer to remove air bubbles.
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How to Get the Air Out

Remove air (optional)

Divide purée evenly between five 8-ounce mason jars; each jar should have about 170 g purée, with about 3/4 inch headspace from the lip of the jar. Gently tap jars several times on a kitchen towel–covered counter to remove air bubbles.

Seal jar lids until fingertip tight (lid should be secure, but you should be able to easily unscrew with your fingertips).

Cast into jars and seal

It’s important to avoid sealing mason jar lids too tightly when using them for cooking sous vide. This allows air to escape from the jars when they’re submerged in the water bath. If a jar is sealed too tightly, trapped air will press against the glass, which can cause the jar to crack or break.

Here’s our foolproof method for sealing jars “fingertip tight”: Place a lid on top of the jar. Using your fingertips, twist the band to tighten. When you begin to feel resistance, twist once in the opposite direction to loosen, then once more in the original direction to lightly tighten.

Sealing jars “fingertip tight” for sous vide cooking

Using canning tongs, transfer jars to prepared sous vide bath.

Cook for 1 hour 30 minutes.

NOTE: If you’re using larger jars, you may need to extend the time by about 30 minutes to ensure the core temperature of the pâté reaches [f 154]. To check the core temperature, remove one of the jars from the bath, unscrew the lid, and measure the temperature in the middle of the jar with an instant-read thermometer. If it’s not quite ready, re-seal jar fingertip tight, return to sous vide bath, and cook 30 minutes longer.

Cook pâté sous vide

While pâté is cooking, prepare an ice bath in a container large and deep enough to fit all 5 jars.

Carefully remove jars from water bath and transfer them to the counter. Let rest at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes. Tighten jar lids, transfer jars to prepared ice bath, and chill for 30 minutes. 

Remove jar from ice bath and refrigerate until pâté is completely set, about 3 hours.

Chill pâté

Once completely chilled, pâté is ready to be served. Open a jar and scrape off the thin beige layer on top to expose rose-colored pâté beneath it. Serve.

Serve

Fun fact: Pâté color can vary depending on the batch of livers you use.

Pretty in pink(s)

Pâté can be made in advance and refrigerated in tightly sealed jars for up to 1 month.

Make-ahead and storage

Creamy, buttery chicken liver pâté—it’s the stuff you order at a French bistro, not something you make at home.Maybe it’s never crossed your mind—it’s just one of those preparations that seem to exist outside the domain of the home kitchen, its liver-y beginnings perhaps better left a mystery. So, imagine your friends’ surprise at your next dinner party when you serve up grilled bread topped with a gorgeous rose-colored smear of the stuff, drizzled with honey, and topped with mounds of flaky salt. One bite and they’ll think they died and went to Paris, minus all the berets and attitude.With nothing but a simple sous vide setup, a blender, and some super-cute mini mason jars, chicken liver pâté is yours to master.EDITORS’ NOTE: We recently retested this recipe and found that it’s just as delicious when made with melted butter as it is when made with clarified butter (as called for in the original version). We’ve updated the ingredient list to call for melted butter—with clarified butter as an option—to simplify the process slightly without compromising on the result.

Chicken Liver Pâté

This aromatic and versatile warm-spice blend is inspired by the spices traditionally used in French pain d’épices, a sweetened quick bread with an anise-forward flavor profile. We use it to add complexity to all kinds of preparations—from tasting menu dishes, such as our <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/american-toast">American Toast (aka The ChefSteps Breakfast Egg)</a>, to desserts like <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/pumpkin-pie">pumpkin</a> and <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/super-apple-pie">apple</a> pies, as well as savory recipes like <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/transform-pork-shoulder-into-a-spiral-fresh-glazed-ham">holiday ham</a>, <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/foie-gras-torchon-a-flavor-packed-french-snack-your-friends-will-freak-over">real-deal foie gras torchon</a>, <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/vegan-foie-gras-pate">faux gras pâté</a>, and <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/chicken-liver-pate">chicken liver mousse</a>.