Buying the food

Shopping for food is one of my favourite pastimes. No dish is ever greater than the sum of its parts, so preparing great dishes always starts with sourcing the best quality ingredients. Fresh, seasonal or well-reared produce, cooked gently using sous vide, can produce amazingly consistent results, full of richly flavoured natural juiciness. The accuracy of sous vide cooking will highlight all of the beauty of these primary ingredients, but, at the same time, it will expose the lesser qualities of poor choices. Using old or bad food will lead to poor experiences, no matter what the cooking method, and more often than not can make you sick. Getting to know a good butcher, fishmonger and grocer always makes life easier. Personal relationships with providers will deliver you the best produce. It’s not unlike having a favourite table at a favourite restaurant, with the maitre d’ giving you their best service at each visit.