Sous Vide Supreme – Sleek Stainless Steel Cube
Some months ago I bought Heston Blumenthal’s book Heston Blumenthal At Home. I was delighted with the recipes, all the secrets of the wonder chef’s home kitchen. But there was one chapter I hadn’t been able to cook from, the chapter on Sous Vide. Thanks to Sous Vide Supreme, who have sent me a machine to review and Donald Russell who have supplied a fabulous selection of meat, I can now really experiment with this versatile method of cooking.
Sous vide literally means under vacuum and refers to the technique of cooking in a water bath, at a constant temperature, in a vacuum sealed pouch. A method originally developed to eliminate shrinkage of foie gras. Sous Vide cooking is now used in many top restaurants and you’ll have seen it on cookery shows such as Masterchef.
The Sous Vide Supreme machine is about the size of a bread maker, a sleek stainless steel cube, light and easy to move around the kitchen. I found the digital controls on the front, very simple to use and although I did read the instructions, it’s pretty obvious how to set the temperature and timer. The sous Vide Supreme machine also came with a vacuum sealing device which was equally straightforward. This sucks all the air out of the cooking pouches and is the secret behind the success of the water bath method of cooking.
Sous Vide Ox Cheek Marinated In Red Wine With Sous Vide Carrots
I began with cooking a couple of the Donald Russell ox cheeks, a cut of meat that I’ve used before, but cooked very slowly using a casserole or Dutch oven. The casserole method produces a fall apart texture to the meat and a delicious gravy. The Sous Vide Supreme produced a rich, succulent, soft texture, but it held it’s shape and could be easily sliced and served like a much more expensive cut of steak. The juice in the pouch is robust and ideal for making a quick gravy or jus.
Carrots Vacuum Packed Ready To Go In The Sous Vide Supreme
These cheaper cuts of meat take longer to cook in the Sous Vide Supreme and so take planning. I had to get up at midnight because I hadn’t worked out what time my Donald Russell Pork Osso Bucco should come out before putting it in! However that’s basic cooking planning and no different from using any other method.
Steps 1 to 4 For Perfect Sous Vide Cooking
Armed with Sous Vide For The Home Cook by Douglas E Baldwin, which gives recipes and timings for just about every cut of every type of meat and has a chapter for veg. I had all I needed to embark on my Sous Vide Supreme challenge and review.
Disclosure: I have been provided with a SousVide Supreme water oven, vacuum sealer and cooking bags to review and innovate recipes. The opinions expressed here are my own. This is a competition with prizes for readers, you can vote for your favourite recipe and win a SousVide Supreme machine for yourself , voting starts on March 26th. For details of all the bloggers taking part and details of the wonderful competition prizes take a look here.
This is very interesting. I think I saw something like this before on the Iron Chef.
It’s used a lot on gourmet cooking. I was suprised how easy it was to use. GG
I have only just discovered this piece of equipment and must admit did not know what it was. It does however put me off cooking in plastic.
It produces delicious food. GG
I have never tried this cooking method..sounds really fun and the meat has turned out really juicy and tender.
It’s a great way to cook enabling you to produce several meals at once. GG
Great review GG! Sous vide machines here are expensive so it’s always good to see how they perform before laying out the expense.
Thanks Lorraine. I’m really enjoying using it to produce very diverse dishes. GG
Wow! This would be new to me! Thank you for the step by step road test GG!
I found it easy to use from the get go. GG
I’ve never eaten or made sous vide food, but my cousins absolutely LOVE it. 🙂
It is really good, I love the way the flavour is really enhanced by this method of cooking. GG
I’ve cooked sous vide in my Thermomix but I’m dying to have a real one. Maybe not ‘dying’ but close!
I was so pleased to be asked to review the Sous Vide Supreme because like you, I’d been dying to try one out. I have been really pleased with the results. GG
Well you have my vote GG and such an underused and totally brilliant cut of meat too! Excellent post and delightful recipe! Karen
Thanks Karen. I know you’re a convert, I was so surprised how great the Ox Cheeks were. GG
wow I have read about this gadget and I think someone had review it in the FBC group in facebook. It sounds like a great gadget, Nice review.
It can be quite a hands off method of cooking and yet the meat and veg are delicious. GG
I have never even heard of this method, so it’s just a wow! Just a wow!! Looks fantastic. Did you feel any difference in taste?
yes, the taste is very real, intense flavours and great texture. GG
It’s good to hear it is easy to use and worthwhile too. I saw once being used on Masterchef once and thought it was all rather daffy.
I was amazed how carroty flavoured my carrots were and how the texture of the Ox cheeks was maintained despite a very long cook. I’m definitely a convert. GG
those look stunning, I’d love to try a sous vide, but perhaps mid trying to move house wouldn’t be the best time!
Yes, I think settling in first would be best, then try it out! GG
Love the thought of cooking the carrots and vegetables this way, cooked, tender and full of vitamins and flavour. Hope to get to try it one day.
They really do have a wonderful flavour, almost intensified. GG
The ones I’ve seen here are big and bulky. I like the one you have, looks very portable. They’re also very expensive so I doubt I’ll be getting one anytime soon! But the food looks wonderful, the carrots look totally vibrant and perfectly cooked. I see the meat sliced nicely too, makes a more sophisticated plate than casserole!
It’s great because its so manoeuvrable, the hand holds are positioned so that it’s easy to carry when it’s full of water too. GG
Never heard of sous vide 😉 but it looks so interesting!
It’s a great way of cooking. You can cook several meals at once and then freeze or refrigerate them for another day. GG
I have been seeing a few posts on this and lots of people seem happy with theirs.
I’m really enjoying playing around with what the Sous Vide Supreme does. I want to try a chutney! GG
Have never tried cooking sous vide at home but it does produce great tasting dishes in restaurants. It’s interesting how you can do so much more with it than just cooking meat. Those carrots for example look delicious and have retained a beautiful colour.
Colour is one of the big advantages of Sous vide, particularly for veg, but it’s true of meat too. The colour is preserved and with a little searing the dish is vibrant and very tasty. GG
I loooove my sous vide supreme.
I’m learning about mine and loving it too. GG
I’ve always been curious about this. Its kind of like a way fancier version of the “boil in a bag” frozen dinners from the 80’s LOL. The carrots look gorgeous, and they retained their colour so beautifully.
*kisses* H
p.s. can u email the details of the photography class u took a while back that you told me about (if its still available)? Your photos are amazing, and I have a lot of room for improvement.
Whilst boil in the bag is simply a way of heating food up and if you’re not careful boiling it to death, this is a far gentler method and really retains the integrity of the food. GG
My husband would love it if we had one of these. I do agonise about using up worktop space on more gadgets – am currently deliberating about Vitamix and/or stand mixer. I guess a sous vide would need to live in the cupboard!
I love my SousVide Supreme! I’ve only had it a month, and have used it frequently. We love steaks cooked in it, but my current favorite is boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Wonderful! Carrots and other vegetables are next on my list.
The juice in the pouch is robust and ideal for making a quick gravy or jus.
in which way?? reduce and then filter??
I didn’t filter it. Place in a pan with a little port or madeira, the quantity varies depending on how much juice you have. Cook off the alcohol and add two 5g knobs of cold butter. This will make the gravy shiny and add flavour, but the butter must be cold and in small lumps to melt more quickly. Season to taste. GG
Love Sous Vide cooking. I use my crock pot or roaster along with a simple temp control device from perfectcheese.com. Every weekend I cook several steaks, quick chill and then stash in the fridge or freezer. After work it’s simple and easy to throw the steak in boiling water for 5 minutes to warm it up, then brown it on the grill while I fix a quick salad or veg. Incredibly delicious for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
Wow, that ox cheek looks delish. Like you, I’m more used to seeing them fall apart during long, slow cooking. Great job GG!
Janie x
I have a sous vide machine and just love it, the lfood comes out so good the chicken breast comes out very tender, so glad i purchased it
Sounds like a great bit of kit and somehow smaller than I imagine them to be, which is a very good thing in a domestic kitchen. Those ox cheeks look delish.
That is quite a classy piece of machinery, I haven’t heard of it before 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
It is taking a while but the sous vide and I have a very long and happy future together.
Lucky girl to be able to play with such a nice shiny new toy. I’ll be enjoying your posts on what you create.
I’ve had my sous vide machine for a few years now and continue to find more ways to use it. I will pre sear my steaks before sealing them, then I only need to refresh the sear before serving. When I have extra eggs, I throw (gently) them in the water bath and later do the deep fried egg yolks. If I’m in a hurry, I can make Limoncello in a couple of hours. Have fun with your sous vide machine!!!