Jason Logsdon's Blog, page 41

Modernist Cooking Blog: The Shape of Food to Come - Taste Talks Brooklyn

Ready to start talking about food of the Future @wyliedufresne @fabianvonhauske @tastetalks #tastetalks pic.twitter.com/LjKXNX1Uc4

— kate krader (@kkrader) September 10, 2016

One huge benefit of living in Brooklyn is the easy access to events like this one, it was being held a few miles from my house. A negative is that you usually take the subway, and in late summer it's like a sauna down there. By the time my 30 minute trip was over I was dripping with sweat, not the best way to start off the conference. Luckily this first panel quickly made me glad I decided to attend.

This panel has some of the most innovative chef's in the city on it including Wylie Dufresne, Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske talking about the future of food and restaurants.

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Exploring Sous Vide Email Course: What to do Before You Sous Vide Your Food

In the world of sous vide, there's a whole lot of talk about what circulator to buy, how to seal your food, and what's the best way to get a good sear. Those are all very important parts of the process but many people forget about the pre-sous vide preparation, the stuff that happens before you bag your food.

The main task you are trying to accomplish during the pre-sous vide preparation is to make your food taste better. This generally involves the addition of spices and herbs, but it can also take the form of transformational methods such as brining, portioning, or even pre-boiling. We will look at many of these processes in more depth.

Read the entire entry...

Exploring Sous Vide Email Course: What to do Before Your Sous Vide Your Food

In the world of sous vide, there's a whole lot of talk about what circulator to buy, how to seal your food, and what the best way to get a good sear is. Those are all very important parts of the process but many people forget about the pre-sous vide preparation, the stuff that happens before you bag your food.

The main task you are trying to accomplish during the pre-sous vide preparation is to make your food taste better. This generally involves the addition of spices and herbs, but it can also take the form of transformational methods such as brining, portioning, or even pre-boiling. We will look at many of these processes in more depth.

Read the entire entry...

Sous Vide and Modernist Cooking Blog: Should You Sear Before Sous Vide? - Ask Jason

Some people say you need to pre-sear your food before you cook them sous vide. Other people say to sear afterwards. Some say to do both. What's the right answer?

Thanks
- Harold

This is a great question and one that many people run into. I'll look at both sides of the question, whether to pre-sear and whether to post-sear. I'll start with the post-sear as it's the easiest to answer.

If you want good flavor and crust on your food, you will always want to sear it when it is done cooking. Even if you do a pre-sear, the crust itself will go away and can only be established by searing it after the sous vide process is over.

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Modernist Cooking Blog: Should You Sear Before Sous Vide? - Ask Jason

Some people say you need to pre-sear your food before you cook them sous vide. Other people say to sear afterwards. Some say to do both. What's the right answer?

Thanks
- Harold

This is a great question and one that many people run into. I'll look at both sides of the question, whether to pre-sear and whether to post-sear. I'll start with the post-sear as it's the easiest to answer.

If you want good flavor and crust on your food, you will always want to sear it when it is done cooking. Even if you do a pre-sear, the crust itself will go away and can only be established by searing it after the sous vide process is over.

Read the entire entry...

Modernist Cooking Blog: Should You Brine Sous Vide Food? - Ask Jason

Whenever I cook pork or chicken I always brine it. Is this something I still need to do with sous vide? I've noticed most of your recipes don't use a brine.

Thanks
- Samantha

Very good question! And the answer is "it depends"!

Traditionally, the brine was used as a way to maintain the juiciness of food, as well as to firm up the texture and introduce flavors. This is all still true in sous vide cooking, though it isn't as apparent because the sous vide-only result is so good by itself. We will break down brining into "meat" and "fish", since they are handled differently.

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Modernist Cooking Blog: Gourmia Immersion Circulator Pod Detailed Review

This is a detailed review of the Gourmia GSV130 Digital Sous Vide Pod, an inexpensive immersion circulator manufactured by Gourmia. Near the end of 2015 they released this low-cost immersion circulator which, when attached to a suitable container, will provide an excellent water bath for sous vide cooking. If you are interested in getting involved with sous vide cooking, this review will give you all of the information you need to determine if the Gourmia is the right immersion circulator for your needs.

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Modernist Cooking Blog: Sansaire Delta Review Announcement

Sansaire has just announced their KickStarter campaign for their next iteration of their immersion circulator, the Sansaire Delta. Their campaign has also been fully backed already, with more than 900 backers so there is no risk of it not being funded.

With several of the other brands coming out with WiFi enabled devices I was expecting to hear something soon from Sansaire and I wasn't disappointed. The first thing that jumps out about the new unit is the unique design they decided on. Instead of the typical "stick" circulator, they went with a cool looking Δ shape. They say the end footprint of the circulator is smaller than the original Sansaire so hopefully it doesn't take up too much room in the pot.

I also liked that the control panel has been moved to the front. This takes it out of the way of steam from the pot (some other brands have been known to short circuit due to steam) and making it easier to reach and change the settings on.

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Exploring Sous Vide Email Course: How to Sous Vide Chicken, Turkey, Duck and Poultry

The next type of food I wanted to cover in the Exploring Sous Vide course is chicken, turkey, and other poultry. I think sous vide transforms chicken and turkey breasts more than just about any other type of meat. They turn out so much more moist and tender than their traditional counterparts, in large part because you can cook them at a lower temperature. Read the entire entry...

Exploring Sous Vide Email Course: How to Sous Vide Pork and Boar

Today we will dive into the best way to sous vide pork. In general, sous vide pork turns out much more moist and tender than it does with any other cooking technique. It's also safer to eat because you can fully pasteurize it without over cooking it. Read the entire entry...