Sous Vide: Beyond the Basics

Nicholas Gavin is the Culinary Creative Director of ChefSteps, where he develops recipes and is responsible for making all the food look beautiful. Nick has worked at ChefSteps for over a decade; he and ChefSteps co-founder Grant Crilly worked together at Modernist Cuisine. Nick has worked in professional kitchens both in the United States and abroad, most notably at Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Spain.

Nicholas Gavin

Inspired by bagels and lox, New York City’s most venerated brunch dish, this refreshing combination makes an amazing one-bite snack at a passed hors d’oeuvres party or a refreshing first course at a sit-down dinner. Heck, you could even invite a few friends over and serve it mid-morning on a Saturday. They’ll provide the mimosa makings, and you’ll give them a pretty piece of pink salmon fillet coated in a tasty rub and accompanied by softened Philly cream cheese, pickled onions, and a sprinkle of toasty bagel crumbs. Sounds like an even trade, non?We brine the salmon in salt and sugar, apply the flavor-packed rub, then cook sous vide. The result: delightfully firm-yet-tender fish, with a vibrant color and exquisite flavor. We serve this beauty along with cream cheese gently heated in water. (We use Philadelphia brand, not just because we so closely associate its tangy flavor with the bagel breakfasts of our youths, but also because it contains stabilizers that give it a nice texture when warmed—perfect for piping onto the plate.) The crumbs offer a crunchy counterpart to the melt-in-your-mouth fish and softened spread, while pickled onions offer a hit of sour pungency. The result? A dish that’s at once novel and nostalgia triggering. Think of it as everything you love about NYC’s culinary classic, only subtler, lighter, and far more elegant.

Everything-Bagel Salmon